Referees missed a foul on Tim Hardaway Jr on the final play of Detroit’s 94-93 playoff loss to the Knicks on Sunday. The NBA acknowledged the mistake shortly after the game, saying a foul should have been called on the Knicks’ Josh Hart.
Hardaway would have been given three free throws with about 0.3 seconds left if the foul had been called. Detroit was outraged when that play ended the game instead. Hardaway told reporters after the game, You guys saw it. Blatant.
The Knicks now hold a 3-1 lead in the series after winning Game 5 on Tuesday in New York. After the game, crew chief David Guthrie told the media that Josh Hart made a legal defensive play during live play. After the postgame review, we observed that Hart makes body contact that is more than marginal to Hardaway Jr and a foul should have been called.
Hart acknowledged speaking with Hardaway. Did I communicate with him? Yeah, I made contact with him, Hart said. Was it allowed? I am unsure. We’ll let the two-minute report say that.
All calls made in the final two minutes of games decided by three points or less are reviewed by the NBA and reported on the day after the game. But in this case, the NBA had Guthrie speak to a reporter and explain what happened.
Detroit argued in vain after the time ran out. Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff was angered and approached the officiating crew, but he had no recourse to challenge the call. First, earlier in the game, the Pistons had used their challenge. Second, Bickerstaff’s challenge would not have mattered because technically, no call was made, so he could not have challenged. There is contact on Tim Hardaway’s jump shot, Bickerstaff stated. I don’t know how to get around it. There’s contact on his jump shot. He leaves his feet and is dependent on Timmy. I repeat, there’s contact on his jump shot.
The Pistons were down by one and had the ball with one second left. Cade Cunningham missed a jump shot with 7.4 seconds left, and Hardaway got the ball in the left corner after a scramble. Hardaway ball-faked to get Hart into the air, and Hart made contact with the right side of Hardaway’s body as he was in the act of shooting.
Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns was asked for his view of the play after the game.
What do you want me to say? What view is that? Towns said, smiling. Re-entering Madison Square Garden. Happy we got a win. Does that response satisfy you? Is that favorable? Elsewhere on Sunday, Jaden McDaniels converted a three-point play with 39.5 seconds left for the lead and stole the ensuing inbounds pass from LeBron James, leading a rally by the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 116-113 win over the Los Angeles Lakers that put them up 3-1 in the first-round series.
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics went up 3-1 in their series against the Orlando Magic with a 107-98 victory.