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Referees make statement about controversial Pistons-Knicks ending

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Apr 27, 2025 5:05 PM ET

The officiating crew of Sunday’s playoff game between the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks did not even need to wait for the NBA’s Last Two Minutes report to admit that they made a high-profile mistake at the end of the contest.

The Knicks narrowly held off the Pistons 94-93 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first-round series at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mi. on Sunday after a controversial no-call that went in the Knicks’ favor (video here). After the game, crew chief David Guthrie admitted to pool reporter Coty Davis of the Detroit News that Knicks forward Josh Hart should have been called for a foul on Tim Hardaway Jr.’s three-point try just before time expired.

“During live play, it was judged that Josh Hart made a legal defensive play. After postgame review, we observed that Hart makes body contact that is more than marginal to Hardaway Jr. and a foul should have been called,” Guthrie said.

In interview with pool reporter @CotyDavis_24, ref David Guthrie acknowledges that Josh Hart fouled Tim Hardaway Jr. on the final play of Game 4: pic.twitter.com/1Gv7rxqQoZ
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) April 27, 2025

Had Hart been called for a foul, Hardaway Jr. would have received three free throws with less than two seconds remaining on the clock. The Pistons likely would have won the game had he made at least two of them, and even making just one would have probably forced overtime.

The Pistons were livid immediately over the no-call, but there was nothing they could have done about it. Coach JB Bickerstaff was wrongly blamed for not being able to challenge the decision.

The Pistons now know they were right to be angry, but the admission will come as little solace to them. Instead of heading back to New York with the series even at 2, they are now down 3-1 and facing elimination at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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