The New York Knicks secured a thrilling 94-93 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series, taking a commanding 3-1 lead.
With the Knicks clinging to a one-point lead and just seconds remaining, the Pistons had one last chance to steal the game. Cade Cunningham missed a midrange jumper, but the ball bounced to Tim Hardaway Jr. in the corner. Hardaway, poised for a potential game-winning three-pointer, pump-faked to get Knicks defender Josh Hart off his feet. As Hardaway released the shot, Hart made contact with him—a moment that sparked immediate debate.
The referees did not call a foul, and Hardaway’s shot fell short, allowing the Knicks to escape with the win. Postgame reviews revealed that Hart’s contact was more than marginal, and officials admitted that a foul should have been called. Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff expressed his frustration, stating,
“There’s contact on Tim Hardaway’s jump shot. I don’t know any way around it, there’s contact on his jump shot. Guy leaves his feet, he’s at Timmy’s mercy, I repeat, there’s contact on his jump shot.”
Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was heated after this no-call to end the game 👀 pic.twitter.com/gtSvQPkVTU
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 27, 2025
Hart, when asked about the play, acknowledged the contact but remained uncertain about its legality.
“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.”
Josh Hart on the Knicks’ pulling out the win in Game 4:
“Just toughness, man. Everyone just talks about this team – we don’t have the physicality, we don’t do this, don’t do that. We tune that out” pic.twitter.com/fYf3ZvgyFm
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 27, 2025
The controversy overshadowed what was an incredible game from both teams. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 32 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points, including several tough buckets in the final minutes that gave New York the lead. Josh Hart contributed 14 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals despite the contentious ending.
For the Pistons, Cunningham had a 25 point triple double with four blocks, keeping Detroit in the game until the very end. The Pistons’ bench also played a crucial role, with Malik Beasley providing energy and key plays throughout the contest.
The Knicks will return to Madison Square Garden for Game 5, where they have the opportunity to close out the series. Meanwhile, the Pistons face elimination but have shown they can compete with New York in every game of the series. With emotions running high and the stakes even higher, Game 5 promises to be another must-watch matchup.
