The New York Knicks just about nicked a win in Detroit on Sunday, hanging on by a single point to snatch a 3-1 series lead over the Pistons, but it’s how they did it that’s got everyone talking.
In what can only be described as a chaotic ending, the Pistons had a shot to win it with just over 11 seconds on the clock. Cade Cunningham missed a jumper, a mad scramble for the ball followed under the rim, and then it found its way to Tim Hardaway Jr. in the corner. Hardaway had one last chance to pull off a miracle. He faked, jumped… and caught a whole lot of body from Knicks guard Josh Hart. Hardaway was knocked straight into a pack of photographers as his shot clanged off target. No whistle. No foul. Just stunned faces all around Little Caesars Arena.
The officials, somehow, kept their whistles silent. Knicks players began celebrating immediately, while Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff stormed onto the court, livid at what he had just witnessed.
It didn’t take long for the refs to realise they’d made a mess of it. After the game, crew chief David Guthrie held his hands up, admitting that after a postgame review, Hart had made “more than marginal” contact and that a foul should have been called. In short, the Pistons had every right to feel robbed.
Even Hart himself wasn’t denying it. “Did I make contact with him? Yeah, I made contact with him,” he said, holding nothing back. “Was it legal? I don’t know. 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 straight up … At the end of the game, it’s tough — especially that kind of play, bodies flying.”
Tough indeed. But with the whistle swallowed, the Knicks bagged the 94-93 win and the Pistons were left fuming, reported the New York Post.
Jalen Brunson was the big man for New York, even after picking up a nasty-looking leg injury in the second half. He still racked up 32 points and 11 assists. Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in 27 points and nine rebounds, and Hart, who will no doubt be public enemy number one in Detroit for a while, finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
On the Pistons’ side, Cunningham put in a massive shift with 25 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds, becoming only the second Piston ever to notch a playoff triple-double. Tobias Harris added 18 points, and Hardaway, despite the drama, finished with 14 points but struggled from deep.
Now the Knicks have a chance to finish the job back in New York on Tuesday night. You can bet Detroit won’t be forgetting this one anytime soon.