The Detroit Pistons have made life more difficult for the New York Knicks than many expected, and yet here they are, down 3-1 in their first-round series after suffering a 94-93 loss in Game 4. That loss, however, did not come without its fair share of controversy. In the dying seconds of the game, the Pistons had a great look at a game-winner, with Tim Hardaway Jr. being free in the corner, but then Josh Hart barged into him and altered the shot — with the referees swallowing the whistle and deeming that kind of contact legal.
During the officials' Pool Report following the game, crew chief David Guthrie admitted that Hart had indeed fouled Hardaway and the Pistons should have been rewarded with three free throws that could have given them the win. Instead, their season is on the brink of its end, and all they can do is feel hard done by the officiating.
In fact, head coach JB Bickerstaff is perplexed as to how the officials are treating Pistons star Cade Cunningham. Cunningham warrants plenty of defensive attention, with OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges taking turns hounding him, and there's bound to be plenty of contact. Bickerstaff is then confused as to how Cunningham's free throw attempts are so scarce.
“These last couple of games it’s hard for me to believe Cade's only getting to the free throw line four times … it's a little surprising that he doesn’t get to the free throw line more. I think sometimes he’s refereed differently because he’s a big guard,” Bickerstaff said in his postgame presser, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.
Cunningham, outside of the Pistons' Game 2 win where he shot 12 free throws, has only averaged four free throws per contest — which is down from his regular season average of 5.3. While there isn't much in the way of a free-throw disparity between the Pistons and the Knicks, the frustration about things not going their way is understandable coming from Bickerstaff.
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Pistons are on the brink… but they must be proud of what they've accomplished
The Pistons are here to stay; Cade Cunningham is a legitimate superstar with plenty of room to get better, while they have a bright young core that can grow alongside him. So even though they're not likely to advance to the second round now that they're down 3-1, they can still be proud of what they've accomplished this year.
It's not like the Knicks have been blowing them out of the water; all four games have been close, and perhaps with more experience, they can get the job done in the future against a more veteran-leading side like the one New York has.
