The New York Knicks may be down after a tough Game 3 loss in the NBA Finals, but Carmelo Anthony believes the answer heading into Game 4 is to embrace the physicality.
During the latest episode of 7PM in Brooklyn, the former Knicks star shared his thoughts on New York's 115-111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs and what the team needs to do to go up 3-1 in the series at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night.
Anthony acknowledged the controversy surrounding the free-throw disparity in Game 3 but said the bigger story was the physical nature of the game itself.
"That game was physical as shit," Anthony said. "There was times where [Karl-Anthony Towns] was holding on to [Victor Wembenyama], grabbing him, and it was no calls. There was times where [Jalen Brunson] was getting bumped. It was no calls."
He added, "I think that the physicality of this series is it's whoever's the most physical team, but the smart physical team, because now, after a game like that, game three back in New York, all eyes are on it, the energy that's surrounding it, they're going to pay close attention to all the little shit in the game. So don't be surprised if game four they come out and the game is super tight."
One moment that stood out to Anthony came when Wembanyama knocked Brunson to the floor and appeared to laugh afterward. Anthony said he would have preferred to see a teammate immediately respond.
"Somebody should have put Wemby right there," Anthony said. "You put me on the ground and you laughed at me? Nah. Next play, boom. He got to feel something."
While Anthony clarified he wasn't advocating for anything excessive, he emphasized the importance of teammates standing up for one another during the Finals.
"It's like football. If you hit the quarterback late, them offensive linemen come see you," he said.
As for Brunson, Anthony wasn't concerned by criticism of the Knicks star's efficiency. Brunson has scored 82 points on 81 shots through the first three games of the series.
"The reality of that is he has to do that," Anthony said. "If he don't do that, Knicks don't stand a chance."
Instead, Anthony believes New York's biggest adjustment should involve Karl-Anthony Towns being more involved offensively. Towns hasn't scored any points in the fourth quarter in the last three games.
"KAT just can't have one shot in a half, fourth quarter," he said. "You can't be doing that in the Finals."
Anthony added that establishing Towns early would help relieve pressure on Brunson and create a more balanced attack.
"You got to set the tone for Game 4 in the post," Anthony said. "That's what KAT got to do. And that will help JB."
