In Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round series, Tim Hardaway Jr. of Detroit claimed he was fouled while shooting a three-pointer on the game’s final play, a viewpoint later corroborated by the NBA. Despite this acknowledgment, the officials missed the call, leading to Detroit’s 94-93 loss to the Knicks. Crew chief David Guthrie stated that postgame reviews indicated a foul by Knicks player Josh Hart should have been called, granting Hardaway three free throws with just 0.3 seconds left.
Frustrated by the outcome, Hardaway described the non-call as “blatant” and emphasized the clear contact he experienced during the shot. Hart admitted he made contact but questioned its legality, deferring the issue to the league’s two-minute report, which reviews late-game calls.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff expressed his anger over the situation, approaching the officiating crew postgame but having no recourse for challenge since the Pistons had already used theirs and no formal call had been made. Bickerstaff insisted there was obvious contact on Hardaway’s jump shot and reiterated this point emphatically.
Aside from the officiating mishap, Detroit had 11.1 seconds left with the ball when Cade Cunningham missed a jump shot, leading to Hardaway receiving the ball. Hart’s contact occurred as Hardaway executed a ball fake and rose for the shot. Following the game, Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns deflected questions about the call, emphasizing the team’s victory and looking forward to the next matchup in New York. The Knicks now lead the series 3-1, with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday.
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