DETROIT — The referees missed it. And now, the Pistons are furious.
Tim Hardaway Jr. should have been standing at the free-throw line with a chance to win Game 4.
Instead, Josh Hart’s late contest — and clear contact — on Hardaway’s buzzer-beating three went uncalled. The shot missed the rim wide-right, the Knicks escaped with a 94-93 victory, and confirmation of the blown call came only after the damage was already done.
“During live play, it was judged that Josh Hart made a legal defensive play,” crew chief David Guthrie told Detroit Nets reporter Coty Davis in the postgame pool report. “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.”
The final sequence unraveled in chaos.
Down one with seconds remaining, Cade Cunningham missed a mid-range jumper, and Mikal Bridges bobbled the rebound. Only two days earlier, Bridges had tipped a crucial jump ball directly to Hardaway. Now, history nearly repeated itself.
“Yeah, I was sick [after fumbling the rebound in Game 4]. It was just kinda like the jump ball. Like, last time I went to jump ball, [it went] right to Timmy. He hits the three. Just bad things happen. I’m just losing it,” Bridges said. “I had [the ball], then I lost it, then it just rolls. I’m following the ball [with my eyes], and it rolls right to Timmy.
“I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ But thank God he missed it, and whatever else happened during that play. But I’m happy we won.”
Hart flew full-speed to contest Hardaway’s shot, but the veteran sharpshooter pump-faked him into the air. Hart bit, and Hardaway leaned into the contact while elevating for the three.
“All I saw was first the ball going. Then I saw Timmy had it. And I was like, ‘Oh my God,’” Bridges said. “I don’t know how much time is left at that point. So I’m just hoping the buzzer goes off or something, and I’m just laying on the ground. I saw JB [Jalen Brunson] right by the bench. He was right behind him. I looked at him like, ‘Oh my gosh.’
“And Josh, way to be a physical man, I guess. He missed, so I’m thankful.”
The referee, standing just feet away, swallowed his whistle. The Knicks bolted off the court with the win as the Pistons froze in disbelief.
“You go back and look at the film: The guy [Hart] leaves his feet. There’s contact on Tim Hardaway (Jr.), his jump shot. I don’t know any other way around it,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the game. “There’s contact on his jump shot. The guy leaves his feet, he’s at Timmy’s mercy — and I repeat — there’s contact on his jump shot.”
Even Hart admitted what the replay confirmed — he fouled Hardaway. But no call came.
“Did I make contact with him? Yeah, I made contact with him. Was it legal? I don’t know,” Hart said. “We’ll let the two-minute report say that.”
“He shot-faked. I felt like I kind of got there. I felt like I was kind of strayed up. He kind of jumped into me trying to get the foul. At the end of the game, it’s tough. Especially that kind of play, bodies flying. We go with whatever they call. Sometimes it benefits us, sometimes it doesn’t.”
Now, the Knicks head back to Madison Square Garden with a commanding 3-1 series lead and a chance to close out the Pistons on Tuesday night.
As for the controversy?
The Knicks’ stars had no interest in re-litigating it.
“I don’t really know what to say to that,” said Jalen Brunson.
“What do you want me to say? Going back to Madison Square Garden,” Karl-Anthony Towns added with a grin. “Do you like that answer?”
