DETROIT — Mikal Bridges dove for the loose ball, attempting to use every bit of his 6-foot-8 frame to corral the rebound.
But it eluded him, and the worst-case scenario flashed before his eyes.
“I had it, then I lost it, then it just rolls,” Bridges said. “I’m following the ball and it rolls right to [Tim Hardaway Jr.]. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ But thank God he missed it, and whatever else happened during that play.”
So much happened on that fateful final play.
The Knicks got a stop, then another one, then a break from the officials, and now after this thrilling and bizarre 94-93 Game 4 victory at pulsating Little Caesars Arena, they can close out the opening-round series Tuesday at the Garden.
In this hotly contested matchup when no lead was safe, the Knicks led by 16 points in the second quarter and rallied from 11 down in the fourth.
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 23 clutch points in the final period. But the story of this nail-biter was the no-call that went the Knicks’ way.
After Cade Cunningham missed a go-ahead shot on the game’s final possession, the offensive rebound found its way to Hardaway, the former Knick, in the left corner.
Josh Hart sprinted out to contest the shot. Hardaway pump-faked, and Hart made contact with him. No foul was called and the shot came up short.
The Knicks celebrated. Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff went after the officials. Detroit fans booed.
“Did I make contact with him? Yeah. I made contact with him,” Hart said. “Was it legal? I don’t know.”
Shortly after the horn, crew chief David Guthrie said to a pool reporter that a foul should have been called, that Hart made enough contact with Hardaway to warrant one.
“You all saw it,” Hardaway fumed. “It was blatant.”
The Knicks weren’t going to give back the victory, not after how hard they battled back after blowing that 16-point lead. A victory felt unlikely entering the fourth quarter.
The Pistons had momentum and Brunson (32 points, 11 assists) appeared to reinjure his right ankle — the same ankle that cost him 15 games late in the regular season.
But over the final 8:07, the Knicks outscored Detroit by 12.
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Mikal Bridges, who missed nine of his first 10 shots, started a 16-5 run with a deep 3-pointer from the left corner, then hit another triple to make it a three-point game.
Brunson pulled the Knicks even at 84-84 with 4:07 to go. The Pistons, though, still looked to be in good shape, up four with 1:52 to go, after a Hardaway jumper.
Then Towns (27 points, nine rebounds) found his touch. He hit a hard-angle baseline jumper, then a deep 3-pointer with 47 seconds to go to give the Knicks the lead for good.
By then, the Pistons were done scoring.
“It’s just the toughness, man,” said Hart, who produced another all-encompassing brilliant floor game with 14 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals. “Everyone talks about this team, we don’t have the physicality. We don’t do this, we don’t do that. We tune that out.”
Over the final 1:07, Cunningham missed two midrange jumpers and turned it over. Hardaway (14 points) had the final attempt of the game, but it didn’t come close.
Officials said he was fouled, but too late to change the result.
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“What do you want me to say?” a smiling Towns said, when asked about the pool report. “Going back to Madison Square Garden.”
A further explanation wasn’t needed. The Knicks were giddily headed home with a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the third straight spring.
