On Sunday afternoon, the Knicks were on the road to face the Pistons in Game 4 of their first-round matchup. New York had a 2-1 series lead entering Sunday’s contest.
It was a highly contested game between New York and Detroit. The Pistons knew how much they needed a win in Game 4. It was the difference between being down 3-1 and the series being tied 2-2. In the final seconds of Game 4, Cade Cunningham missed a mid-range shot, and the ball bounced off several players and ended up in the corner. Tim Hardaway Jr. picked up the ball and shot a three-pointer. Knicks’ Josh Hart made contact, but no foul was called. After the game, NBA refs admitted in the pool report that a foul should have been called on Hart for making “marginal contact” with Hardaway Jr.
The Pistons were robbed of a chance to win Game 4 at home
Referee David Guthrie says a foul should’ve been called on Josh Hart 😬 pic.twitter.com/3d3c4fW6jP
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 27, 2025
Sunday’s Game 4 between the Knicks and Pistons was back-and-forth. Refs allow more physicality in the postseason, and we’ve seen that in this series. There is no love lost between New York and Detroit. This is the Pistons’ first postseason appearance since 2018-19. For a number of their players, it’s their first playoff experience. Detroit has had the lead late in games but has been unable to close out and secure a win.
However, losing Game 4 94-93 on Sunday was not entirely the Pistons’ fault. Tim Hardaway Jr. shot a three-pointer before the final buzzer sounded. While taking the shot, Knicks’ Josh Hart jumped in the air to contest Hardaway Jr.’s shot. Hart made contact with Hardaway Jr. in the air, but no foul was called. Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was furious and ran onto the court pleading for a call.
The refs rigged this game for the Knicks im sorry this is a clear foul on Josh hart pic.twitter.com/2PZbsIvocR
— John (@iam_johnw) April 27, 2025
After every NBA game, there is a pool report. It’s conducted by a member of the media and the crew chief referee. For Game 4 on Sunday, it was David Guthrie. He admitted in the pool report that Josh Hart made “marginal contact” with Tim Hardaway Jr. Detroit would have had three free throw attempts from a player who shot 85% from the charity stripe. Hardaway Jr. would have needed one basket to tie and two to win. A foul was not called in real time, and the Knicks took a 3-1 series lead.
