Highly questionable from the beginning.
Knicks fans were irate at the officiating in Game 3, and nothing about that has changed in the first quarter of Game 4, as Knicks star center Karl-Anthony Towns was called for a foul on an opening drive from De’Aaron Fox 18 seconds into the game.
Fox drove to his strong side and threw up a layup without a hope of going in, but was able to force contact into Towns’ hips, and a bit of embellishment led to an instant whistle and a first foul on the star forward.
Precisely 48 seconds later, Towns appeared to draw a foul on center Victor Wembanyama, but a review from the officials showed that Towns was hooking Wembanyama’s arm close to his body.
Both fouls were borderline at best, but it was a worthwhile challenge from the Spurs, as Wembanyama avoided a foul call early in the game, while Towns got his second foul inside of the first two minutes.
Towns immediately went to the bench, and the Knicks put in Mitchell Robinson as they went down double figures in the opening quarter.