Wembanyama Receives Flagrant 1 Foul in NBA Finals Game 4

Victor Wembanyama received a flagrant 1 foul in the third quarter of Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 10, 2026. The foul occurred with the Knicks trailing by 29 points and just under 9:30 remaining in the period. Wembanyama’s elbow made contact with the face of Karl-Anthony Towns as the Spurs forward attempted to break free.

Towns fell to the floor after the contact to the mouth. Wembanyama tapped Towns on the back following the play. Officials reviewed the sequence and ruled it a flagrant 1. Crew chief Zach Zarba announced the decision: “After the review, it’s been deemed the elbow of Wembanyama makes unnecessary contact to the chin of Towns.

The announcement drew a positive reaction from the Madison Square Garden crowd. Wembanyama had launched Jalen Brunson to the ground in the first quarter of Game 3. That contact was not called a foul during the game, and the NBA did not retroactively assess a flagrant foul.

A flagrant foul in Game 3 combined with the Game 4 call would have given Wembanyama four flagrant points and triggered a one-game suspension. The Spurs later surrendered their 29-point lead in Game 4. Wembanyama had been booed during pregame introductions before the contest.

Knicks owner James Dolan addressed the prior Game 3 incident during a WFAN interview on Wednesday afternoon. “So, I’m a Governor of the NBA, right, I’m restricted and bound by the rules of the NBA, of which there are a lot. There’s little that I can say,” Dolan said.

“I will say if you read the cover of The New York Post today, I think they got it right.