NBA World Reacts to Chaotic Ending to Game 4 Between Knicks and Pistons

Foul or no foul?

Tim Hardaway Jr. takes the final shot in Game 4 contested by Josh Hart / Screengrab via NBA on ESPN/ABC

The New York Knicks squeaked out a 94–93 win on the road to take a 3–1 series lead over the Detroit Pistons Sunday. New York's star point guard Jalen Brunson briefly exited the game after he tweaked his right ankle in the third quarter, then returned early in the fourth and went off for 15 points in the final frame.

Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns had an incredible sequence with two difficult shots on back-to-back possessions, scoring the final five points in the game. But the game's ending sent the NBA world into a frenzy, as the Pistons had an opportunity to take the lead and possibly win the game.

Pistons star guard Cade Cunningham missed a midrange shot near the nail, then the ball bounced around and wound up in the hands of Tim Hardaway Jr. for a three-point attempt as time expired. Hardaway may or may not have been fouled on the shot by Knicks wing Josh Hart, but the officials didn't blow their whistle. The frenetic shot fell short and New York held on, sending the series back to Madison Square Garden with the Pistons on the verge of elimination.

The Knicks-Pistons Game 4 finish in Detroit...

Dave Pasch: "J.B. BICKERSTAFF IS ON THE FLOOR IRATE! HE THOUGHT THERE SHOULD'VE BEEN A FOUL CALL ON THE HARDAWAY SHOT!!"

Tim Legler: "I think there's contact... Most often you're going to get a call on this play..." #NBA pic.twitter.com/hzsWbqQBZz

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 27, 2025

Basketball personalities and fans were in disbelief on the no-call:

That was disgusting. We were robbed.

Proud of our fight. But man, I feel sick.

— Pistons Jack (@pistons_jack) April 27, 2025

That’s a foul. You gotta call that

— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) April 27, 2025

I wanted the Pistons to win this, but I prefer this not being a foul. Hardaway leans into Hart as he jumps past, initiating contact.

I can understand the Detroit counter to this, that Brunson gets this call multiple times a game

— T3™️ (@T3Bracketology) April 27, 2025

And if it did get reviewed

Marginal contact on Hart

It doesn’t help that THJ leans into the play https://t.co/6qHZzFeXEA

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) April 27, 2025

Yeah let’s just not use technology to make the right call in these situations pic.twitter.com/iDvbxCISzv

— ᗩᑎT ᗯᖇIGᕼT (@itsAntWright) April 27, 2025

JB might have a legit gripe there. What a wild finish.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) April 27, 2025

Refs gotta run out of the building on this one man. pic.twitter.com/TF7XMa6gY1

— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) April 27, 2025

And yes, Hardaway was very clearly fouled on the last shot.

It should never have come down to that.

— Keith Black Trudeau (@Charlottean28) April 27, 2025

Whether a foul should have been called or not, Detroit's season now hangs in the balance.

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