Knicks Tune Critics Out in Game 4 Win

Sunday's win was labeled by some as a "90s game," one that fell short of the pinball machine-style tallies prevalent on modern Association scoreboards. There was no lack of physicality, however.

There were 34 interruptions for fouls in Sunday's game — and that, of course, doesn't include the one that refs said should've been called against Hart when he played defense against Tim Hardaway Jr.'s would-be winner on the Pistons' final possession. Hart, who previously called comparisons to last season's team "idiotic," likely had some grievances as well, as he faced a physical box-out from Tobias Harris on a scrum for a rebound off a Cade Cunningham mid-range miss before Hardaway's try.

Nonetheless, the Knicks had the necessary grit to prevail in a vital fourth game, one that saw New York take a 3-1 in the best-of-seven set against the Pistons. It was just the third game the Knicks won this season where they scored few than 100 points and their first since January.

Hart's teammate Karl-Anthony Towns hopes that future NBA All-Stars are taking note of the physcality on display in the Knicks-Pistons series, which returns to Madison Square Garden later this week.

“I think this is a great series for the NBA," Towns said, per Barbara Baker of the Newsday. "I think it gives a little bit of old-school vibes. I think this is great for kids watching who haven’t been able to see old-school basketball to see this kind of reminiscent game of old-school physicality.”