The Detroit Pistons were left furious Sunday after the NBA admitted referees missed a crucial foul late in their 94-93 Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks — a decision that helped New York grab a 3-1 series lead.
Missed Foul in the Final Seconds
With Detroit trailing by one, Tim Hardaway Jr. launched a potential game-winning 3-pointer from the corner. Knicks guard Josh Hart made contact on the shot, but no foul was called.
Crew chief David Guthrie acknowledged postgame that Hart’s contact was “more than marginal” and should have resulted in a foul, sending Hardaway to the line for three free throws.
“There’s contact on Tim Hardaway’s jump shot,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the game. “But we didn’t have a challenge available.”
Without a call, the Knicks secured the rebound and the victory.
Knicks Escape Behind Towns, Brunson
Karl-Anthony Towns hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with under a minute left and finished with 27 points.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 32 points and 11 assists, bouncing back from a shaky Game 3 performance.
Detroit, meanwhile, was paced by Cade Cunningham, who posted a triple-double (25 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) but struggled down the stretch, committing two costly turnovers in the final minute.
Pistons’ Historic Home Playoff Woes Continue
The loss extended Detroit’s home playoff losing streak to nine games — tying the NBA record set by the New York Knicks between 1956 and 1962.
“We fought,” Cunningham said. “But these little margins are everything in the playoffs.”
What’s Next
The series now shifts back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 on Tuesday night, with the Knicks looking to close out the series and the Pistons hoping to force a return to Detroit.
