DUBAI: For the second straight game, the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons went down to the wire. The Knicks had secured a 118–116 win in Game 3, and Game 4 was just as dramatic on Sunday.
With the Pistons down by one point, the ball was batted around in the final seconds and ended up in Tim Hardaway Jr.’s hands. He shot a three-pointer just before the buzzer and drew some contact from New York’s Josh Hart that was not called a foul.
Had the shot gone in, or had a foul been called, it could have won the game for Detroit, but instead, the Knicks sealed a 3–1 series lead.
NBA referee David Guthrie commented to a pool reporter after the game: “During live play, it was judged that Josh Hart made a legal defensive play.
“After postgame review, we observed that Hart makes body contact that is more than marginal to Hardaway Jr. and a foul should have been called.”
The Knicks and Pistons have delivered a highly competitive and nail-biting series so far.
As former New York Knicks player Joakim Noah described it: “They’re in for a real fight against the Detroit Pistons.”
Speaking in Abu Dhabi at the BRED Festival on Thursday, Noah predicted a tense first-round series. “The playoffs are the pinnacle of our sport, and the intensity is very high.
“The Knicks are a good team, they’re very well-coached. But the playoffs are about matchups,” he said
Describing the Pistons, Noah said: “This is a young team that lost a lot last year, and when you lose that much, it brings a different kind of pain. The Pistons carried that pain this year, and they’ve had a great season.
“Now they get to play on the big stage. I think the New York Knicks are a very good team, but they’re up against a real battle right now against the Pistons.”
The No. 3-seed Knicks and No. 6-seed Pistons will face off again in Game 5 of their first-round playoffs series, with the former returning home and looking to advance to the second round on April 29.
Meanwhile, fans in Abu Dhabi have reason to be excited.
Later this year, the Knicks will face the Philadelphia 76ers in The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2025 presented by ADQ, organized in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.
The two iconic teams will be in action across two preseason games, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 4, at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.
While the preseason games in Abu Dhabi are not a part of the official NBA season, they remain highly competitive and thrilling for fans.
As Noah described it, even in pre-season, seeing great talents like Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks) live, rather than just on TV or social media, is powerful and inspiring.
Reflecting on his own experience, Noah, who began his NBA career with the Chicago Bulls before joining the Knicks, said: “I remember for me personally, I saw Michael Jordan play in Paris in ’97 when I was 10 years old.
“And I felt so blessed to be able to be in that gym, and that moment to me, it changed my life. I wanted to play for the Chicago Bulls since I was 9 years old, and I got to see Michael Jordan play with the Chicago Bulls, and I was like, OK, this is it. This is what I want to do.”
