NBA officials admittedly botched the final moments of Sundays’ playoff thriller between the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons.
Crew chief David Guthrie told reporters in Detroit that a foul should have been called on New York’s Josh Hart when he bumped into the Pistons’ Tim Hardaway Jr. on a last-second heave. The shot, which was clearly impacted by the contact from Hart, missed badly, allowing the Knicks to squeak out a 94-93 win.
‘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.’
Hardaway knew immediately that a foul should have been called.
‘You guys saw it,’ Hardaway said. ‘Blatant.’
Hardaway was about to put up a corner 3-pointer when Hart put his shoulder into Hardaway’s. If a foul had been called, Hardaway would have gone to the free-throw line for three attempts.
Hart knew he made contact with Hardaway but was unsure of the extent.
‘Did I make contact with him? Yeah, I made contact with him,’ Hart told reporters. ‘Was it legal? I don’t know. We’ll let the two-minute report say that.’
He seemed even less bothered by the controversy while updating fans on social media an hour later: ‘Chipotle after a W >>>’
The NBA releases Two Minute Reports one day after any game that was decided by fewer than three points. The league reviews all calls in the final two minutes of the contest.
Immediately after the contest, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff scurried around the court pleading his case that a foul should have been called. He later addressed the lack of a call in his postgame press conference.
‘There’s contact on Tim Hardaway’s jump shot. I don’t know any other way around it, there’s contact on his jump shot,’ Bickerstaff said. ‘The guy (Hart) leaves his feet; he’s at Timmy’s mercy. I repeat, there’s contact on his jump shot.’
New York’s one-point victory gives it a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series. The Knicks will attempt to clinch the series Tuesday, when Game 5 is played in New York.
Many fans were outraged following the Pistons loss.
‘The refs rigged this game for the Knicks im sorry this is a clear foul on Josh hart,’ wrote one on X.
‘Jalen Brunson has got that exact foul call multiple times this series,’ another added, referring to the star Knicks point guard. ‘Tim Hardaway Jr. was 100% fouled there.’
Some put it more succinctly: ‘Hardaway was clearly fouled, rigged league.’
And then there were the Knicks fans, who were quick to point the finger right back at the officials.
‘Pistons got away with murder all game,’ one wrote.
‘Can they ask him about [Pistons forward Tobias] Harris basically grabbing Hart under the basket on the missed shot by Cade [Cunningham] in same sequence,’ another asked.
One commenter suggested Guthrie is specifically to blame: ‘Maybe he was overwhelmed with guilt for missing so many calls on the Knicks end…’
