“There’s Contact On Tim Hardaway’s Jump Shot. I Don’t Know Any Other Way Around It" - JB Bickerstaff Didn't Hold Back While Addressing The Brutal Missed Foul At The End Of Game 4

Gregory Shamus. Getty Images.

By now, if you've been watching the NBA playoffs so far today or have scrolled Twitter at all, you've probably seen the Non Call Heard Around The World on the final play of Knicks/Pistons.

A clear foul. We know it, Pistons fans know it, Knicks fans know it, everyone knows it. Objectively, this is a foul. It's always been a foul and will always be a foul. This is not "physical playoff defense" or whatever people say. This is a straight-up foul. David Guthrie, the official on the baseline that missed it, just so happens to also be the guy who blew that phantom 8 second call in the final minute of ORL/BOS to ruin the end of that game as well. What a run this guy is on!

And of course, when something like this benefits the team you root for, you pretend it never happened. Whatever, not your problem as a fan that the NBA made the mistake and effectively ended the series. Plus, let's not take away from the incredible shot making by the Knicks and KAT/Brunson specifically down the stretch which ultimately put the Knicks in a position to win in the first place

But what about from the Pistons' side? I mean they were very clearly screwed out of an opportunity to tie/take the lead and even this series at 2-2. If you listen to JB Bickerstaff after the game, it's hard to argue with a thing he said

How do we know he's right? Well, right after the game, the official himself admitted he messed up

YIKES. 

So while it's true the Knicks made enough plays to win this game and take full control of the series, it's also true that the Pistons were objectively boned. That's tough to stomach given what it now means for the rest of the series. There's a huge difference in 2-2 compared to 3-1 now heading to MSG with the Knicks able to end the series on their home floor. 

This recent fuck up also stresses something everyone with a brain has been screaming about for years now. The NBA's officiating problem is HORRENDOUS. We're now at the point where the same guy is making CRUCIAL end-of-game mistakes that are directly impacting the result of the game and how a series is going. For the Pistons, it very well could have just ended their season. It's completely destroying their product! The conversation today should be all about what an incredible game that was between the Knicks and Pistons, and because Adam Silver doesn't give a single fuck and refuses to accept this problem needs to be addessed, the conversation is about stuff like this instead. While no official in any sport will ever be perfect, there has to be a middle ground here. We CANNOT be having refs impact the end of multiple playoff games just days apart with blatant missed calls. He was RIGHT THERE looking at the play. That's a call you have to make. 

Whenever we have plays like this, all you have to do is say OK, if this happened to my favorite team would I be pissed? I'm sure Knicks fans would be super rational and supportive if one of their guys were fouled in that spot. It's OK to admit you caught a prayer, you still did enough to win, but that doesn't mean there wasn't a massive fuck up that completely changed the game and the rest of this series.

These aren't random games in January. These are the playoffs! These games matter! Missing calls or fucking up repeatedly at the end of close games matters! Does Adam Silver care? Of course not. Plus, the Knicks benefited from it, so you know deep down he probably loves it. A big market team is one step closer to advancing? Something tells me he's not losing any sleep over how the end of Game 4 unfolded.