NBA Playoffs news: New York Knicks escape Detroit Pistons comeback thanks to controversial no-call foul

Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first-round Matchup ended with the New York Knicks taking a hard-fought 94-93 victory in Detroit.

However, the game was not without controversy as the Pistons Tim Hardaway Jr felt he was fouled on a possible game-winning shot as time expired.

Here, Sports News Blitz writer Oliver Carter breaks down the game and the controversy that surrounded its final moments.

Early control for the Knicks

The Knicks started out the game strong taking an early 10-point lead, ending the first quarter 29-19 with Pistons All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham struggling to get going, only scoring two points throughout the opening 12 minutes.

On the other side of the Star Guard battle was Jalen Bruson, who managed seven points and six assists in the first quarter alone.

The second quarter was more of the same as the Knicks grew to their biggest lead of the game with two minutes left in the half pushing the gap to 16 points.

However, the dying moments of the half were dominated by Detroit cutting the lead down to seven just before the half.

The momentum built up by the nine-point swing was helped by the loud Detroit home crowd as the Pistons dominated the third quarter 14-28.

Cade Cunningham found his footing scoring 12 points, pulling in six rebounds and dishing out five assists in the third quarter alone.

Late in the third quarter, a Dennis Schroeder steal led to a Cade Cunnigham dunk, which also led to Jalen Brunson, the recently crowned NBA Clutch Player of the Year, re-aggravating an ankle injury that saw him miss the final month of the regular season, forcing him back to the locker room.

Piston’s surge in Brunson’s absence

Just after Brunson left the game, the Knicks All-Star Centre Karl Anthony Towns entered foul trouble as he picked up his fourth foul.

With both of New York’s All-Stars off the court, the Pistons capitalised on the opportunity, pushing the lead to seven points in their favour entering the fourth quarter with a 71-64 lead.

The fourth quarter started with the Pistons on top once again as they reached their largest lead of the game, putting an 11-point gap between them and New York with eight minutes remaining.

Brunson re-entered the game from the locker room. His ankle did not slow him down at all as he lived up to being the clutch player of the year with 15 points in the quarter greatly helping a New York comeback.

The Knicks slowly sliced into the Detroit lead throughout the final six minutes of the game, until finally a Karl-Anthony Towns heavily contested step-back three fell through with 47 seconds remaining giving the Knicks their first lead since mid-way through the third.

That go-ahead shot from Towns ended up as the last points of the game as the dying moments were incredibly scrappy with multiple turnovers and misses.

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The controversial no-call

The controversy happened after the Pistons managed to grab an offensive rebound and find sharpshooter Hardaway Jr in the corner.

He was hit on the body by Josh Hart as he went up to shoot with a second left on the clock, this contact left the shot well short of the Basket.

Had a foul been called Hardaway would have shot three free throws, giving the Pistons a huge chance at the win.

When the buzzer went off, Pistons Head Coach, J.B Bickerstaff, immediately rushed onto the court protesting to the referees that a foul should have been called.

Despite the protests of the Pistons players and the coaching staff, no foul was called.

The game ended with the Knicks taking a crucial 3-1 series lead as they head back to New York hoping to close out the series at home in Madison Square Garden.

However, the controversy didn’t end at the buzzer.

A few hours after the game ended the NBA Crew Chief, David Guthrie, said that the referees missed the foul call.

This meant that Hardaway Jr should have had three free throws.

If he had made even one of the three, the game would have gone to overtime. If two went in, the Pistons would have won.

New York Knicks Stats:

Jalen Brunson - 32 pts, 5 reb, 11 ast, 1blk

Karl-Anthony Towns - 27 pts, 9 reb, 5 3pm

Josh Hart - 14 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast, 4 stl 

Detroit Pistons Stats:

Cade Cunningham - 25 pts, 10 reb, 10 ast, 4 blk

Tobias Harris - 18 pts, 8 reb

Tim Hardaway Jr - 14 pts, 4 3pm

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