In a bruising Game 4 between the Knicks and Pistons, where heavy contact often went uncalled, officials later admitted a crucial missed foul on the final play which could have won Detroit the game.
With the Knicks up by one, Detroit’s Tim Hardaway Jr. absorbed contact from Josh Hart while attempting a potential game-winner with 0.3 seconds left. The three-point shot missed, and the packed crowd waited for a whistle that never came.
Did the Pistons get robbed? No call on Tim Hardaway’s final shot of the game.
This is called a foul 99% of the time. #NYvsDET pic.twitter.com/LwwVLmBSdV
— Benchwarmer Sports (@bwsportsmemes) April 27, 2025
No foul was called, enraging the Pistons bench and fans. The Knicks escaped with a 94–93 win, taking a 3–1 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series.
Afterward, crew chief David Guthrie told reporters that a foul should have been assessed on Hart.
“During live play, it was judged that Josh Hart made a legal defensive play,” Guthrie said. “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 call been made, Hardaway would have had three free throws to potentially give Detroit the lead. Instead, the Knicks survived a late rally, overcoming an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter, and now have a chance to close the series at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
Guthrie’s admission confirmed what Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff and his players already believed.
“There was contact on Tim Hardaway’s jump shot; [Hart] left his feet,” said Bickerstaff, who confronted officials on the court as the Knicks celebrated.
Hardaway’s reaction: “You all saw it. It was blatant.”
Even Hart himself acknowledged making contact after the game.
“Did I make contact with him? Yeah, I made contact with him,” Hart said. “Was it legal? I don’t know. We’ll see in the Last Two Minute Report.”
The NBA routinely reviews the final two minutes of close games and issues a report the next day. In this case, a pool report was requested immediately, prompting Guthrie’s comments.
