Few things swing faster from euphoria to agony than a blown call in playoff basketball. That’s exactly what happened to the Pistons in the final moments. Tim Hardaway Jr. split his defender and drew heavy contact from Knicks guard Josh Hart. As Hardaway went up for the shot, Hart knocked him into a row of photographers on the baseline, and the shot missed the rim entirely. Despite being right there, the official chose not to call a foul, leaving the Pistons stunned. Instead of getting a chance to tie the game with free throws, they walked away with a heartbreaking 94-93 loss.

After the buzzer, Tim Hardaway Sr. exploded on Instagram. In a post, he expressed his frustration, saying, “All I got to say is a missed call. That’s all I got to say. Missed call. Missed call. That’s all I got to say. That’s not good for our league to miss those type of calls. Point blank.” It’s clear Hardaway Sr. wasn’t just upset with the missed call but also took shots at the league itself for allowing such moments to happen.

Recently, a clip from Run It Back put fresh fire on the missed call debate. Chandler Parsons said, “If he were to blow the whistle there and make a foul call, you can review it. The fact that there’s not a call, even though it’s a blatant missed call, you can’t review it. It makes no sense.” He called it “inexcusable” and added, “It can’t happen in the playoffs.” Lou Williams jumped in too, warning, “That call is gonna lose them the series.” 

Parsons even name-checked Jalen Brunson’s flopping, calling the no-call a reward for theatrics. Parsons said, “You know how much we hate when players flop and sell it? This is why they do that.” He pointed out how Brunson had been selling contact all series long, yet Tim Hardaway Jr. didn’t and got no call. “It’s like you reward the flopping to a certain point,” Parsons added. Jalen Brunson’s known for using his body to draw fouls, especially in high-stakes moments. His reputation for selling contact drew attention, sparking discussion about the fine line between flopping and drawing legitimate fouls.

Their conversation dug even deeper into how broken the system feels. Chandler stressed, “They have to change this,” saying a live review could fix obvious mistakes. Lou Williams, however, wasn’t sold. He warned, “Once we start bringing so many things into it, the quality of the game will go down.” Even Michelle Beadle chimed in, saying, “Although this one looked easy.” Chandler added with frustration, “More missed calls like this, and soon robots will replace referees.” Makes you wonder — is that where the game is headed?

Referees acknowledge missed foul call in Pistons-Knicks game 4

In a tense Game 4 of the playoffs, a missed foul call in the final seconds sparked outrage. With 0.3 seconds remaining, Tim Hardaway Jr. went up for a potential game-winning shot, only to be bumped by Josh Hart. Despite clear contact, the referees didn’t blow the whistle, and the Knicks held on for a close win, putting the Pistons in a 3-1 hole.

After the game, crew chief David Guthrie admitted he missed the foul, stating that Hart’s body contact was more than “marginal” and a foul should have been assessed. This missed call would have sent Hardaway to the free-throw line with a chance to win the game and tie the series 2-2. Instead, the Knicks escaped with the win, aided by a strong comeback led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Josh Hart himself acknowledged the contact, saying, “Did I make contact with him? Yeah, I made contact with him. Was it legal? I don’t know. We’ll see in the Last Two Minute Report.” The NBA’s two-minute report, which reviews calls in close games, will likely shed more light on the situation, but the officials’ admission has already fueled discussions about the impact of such a mistake in a playoff setting.

With the game now decided, the Knicks are one win away from advancing. But the controversy over the missed foul call will likely linger.