Official Explains Controversial Knicks Call

No whistle was blown, however, until Ausar Thompson intentionally fouled Brunson with 3.5 seconds remaining. While the Pistons were peeved that no backcourt violation, Game 3 officiating crew chief Zach Zarba defended the lack of a call and claimed it met the standards set by the official Association rulebook.

"Rule 4, Section 6G," Zarba cited to pool reporter Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. "The frontcourt/backcourt status is not obtained until  a player with the ball has established a positive position in either half in this instance, during the throw in the last two minutes of the fourth period and the last two minutes in any overtime period. Obviously, that is where we were at that point."

"Brunson and the trajectory of the pass were headed towards the backcourt.  Brunson’s momentum was taking him there when he touches the ball. Due to that momentum, he’s not considered in a positive position at that time.  That’s why that play is legal."

The exact wording of Rule 4, Section reads "Frontcourt/backcourt status is not attained until a player with the ball has established a positive position in either half during (1) a jump ball, (2) a steal by a defensive player,(3) a throw-in in the last two minutes of the fourth period and last two minutes of any overtime period or (4) any time the ball is loose."

With the Knicks in the bonus after Thompson's intentional foul, Brunson hit one of two free throws to create a two-possession lead at 117-113. It came up big when Tobias Harris sank a three-pointer on the other end to shrink the gap back to one.

Despite the limited time left on the clock, the officiating controversies didn't stop there: when Brunson got back to the line through another intentional foul with less than a second remaining, he sank the first before trying to intentionally miss the second attempt to run out the clock.

Brunson successfully misfired but the clock erroneously started when the ball hit the rim. By rule, the Pistons were afforded possession and the ensuing review gave them a de facto timeout to draw up a play. The Knicks were finally allowed to exhale when Jalen Duren's ensuing inbounds pass sailed out of bounds.

While befuddled by the backcourt ruling, Pistons star Cade Cunningham refused to pin Detroit's defeat on the controversial catch.

"If you catch the ball in the frontcourt and you cross the line, thought that was backcourt," Cunningham said, per Christian Romo of the Detroit Free Press. "Maybe I’m wrong. Always has been in my life ... Those didn’t decide the game though, at all … There were a lot of plays in the first quarter that dug us a hole."

Detroit may yet be vindicated by the Last Two-Minute Report that stems from Game 3, much like the Knicks were from the prior contest: the L2M Report from Game 2 ruled that Josh Hart should've gotten on opportunity to give the Knicks a late lead at the foul line after he was fouled while completing a comeback from 15 points down with an emphatic dunk.