Josh Hart, Luke Kornet had heated confrontation in Game 3

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Josh Hart, Luke Kornet had heated confrontation in Game 3

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Renzo Pocholo Salao | Last updated Jun 8, 2026 10:05 PM ET

Tempers flared early in Game 3 of the NBA Finals as New York Knicks wing Josh Hart and San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet got into a heated altercation.

Hart scored a contested transition bucket with just over three minutes left in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, N.Y. Kornet rammed into Hart as the latter tried to get back on defense, knocking the Knicks veteran to the ground.

Hart took exception to the bump. He promptly got back on his feet and shoved Kornet. Players from both sides got between the two before things could escalate further.

Josh Hart shoves Luke Kornet after the bucket pic.twitter.com/7DFZYpDT0G
— Underdog (@Underdog) June 9, 2026

Here’s the slow-motion replay of the fracas.

JOSH HART VS. LUKE KORNET pic.twitter.com/UwnZTupkyy
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 9, 2026

The referees reviewed the incident during the stoppage in play. They determined that Hart “made illegal contact” with Kornet during the dead ball and assessed the Knicks swingman with an unsportsmanlike technical foul.

The officials did not punish Kornet, who appeared to run over Hart accidentally while trying to inbound the ball.

Fans of both the Spurs and Knicks saw heightened physicality as early as the first quarter of Game 3. Victor Wembanyama delivered a dirty hit on Jalen Brunson and got away with it just moments before the Hart-Kornet incident.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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