Officiating Error Haunts Pistons in Game 4 Loss to Knicks

DETROIT — In a dramatic Game 4, the New York Knicks edged out the Detroit Pistons 94-93, taking a 3-1 lead in their playoff series on Sunday. The game ended amid controversy when officials admitted missing a crucial foul call in the final seconds.

With the Knicks leading by one point, Pistons forward Tim Hardaway Jr. went up for a three-point shot with just 0.3 seconds remaining. He encountered significant contact from Knicks defender Josh Hart, but no foul was called, leaving Pistons players and fans furious. Crew chief David Guthrie later acknowledged the mistake, saying, ‘During live play, it was judged that Josh Hart made a legal defensive play. After postgame review, we observed that Hart makes body contact that is more than marginal to Hardaway Jr. and a foul should have been called.’

Had the foul been called, Hardaway would have had the opportunity to shoot three free throws, potentially giving the Pistons the win. After the game, Hardaway expressed frustration, saying, ‘You all saw it. It was blatant.’

Hart also admitted to the contact, stating, ‘Did I make contact with him? Yeah, I made contact with him. Was it legal? I don’t know. We’ll see in the last two-minute report.’

The Knicks managed to secure the win despite trailing by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter. Star players Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns fueled the comeback, scoring a combined 59 points and leading the team in the crucial moments of the game.

Brunson, who tallied 32 points and 11 assists, was especially effective late in the game. He scored 15 points in the final quarter, helping the Knicks regain their footing after a shaky third quarter. Towns contributed with 27 points and highlighted his performance with a critical three-pointer that gave New York the lead with 46.6 seconds remaining.

Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff expressed his disappointment in the officiating after the game: ‘There was contact on Tim Hardaway’s jump shot; [Hart] left his feet.’

The Pistons will now look to regroup as they prepare to head to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 on Tuesday, facing elimination in the series.