Watch: Brutal no-call dooms Pistons as Knicks take 3-1 series lead

Had the call been made, Hardaway Jr. would have had three free throws with roughly 1.6 seconds left, giving the Pistons a golden chance to tie the series at 2-2.

Instead, they're in a 3-1 hole and need a road win on Tuesday to keep the series — and their season — alive.

Making the loss even more painful, the Pistons wasted one of the greatest individual playoff games in franchise history.

Point guard Cade Cunningham had a triple-double, ending the game with 25 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. Per Stathead, he became just the second player in team history to record a playoff triple-double, joining Hall of Famer Isaiah Thomas, who achieved the feat twice (1986, 1989).

The controversial ending is also unfortunate because Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns and point guard Jalen Brunson should be remembered most from the win.

Towns made some stunning shots down the stretch, falling out of bounds along the baseline on a two-point attempt late in the shot clock and drilling a 27-foot three that gave the Knicks the 94-93 lead.

He finished second on the Knicks with 27 points. Brunson, who exited the game in the second half with a lower-body injury, returned in the fourth, scoring 15 of his game-high 32 points.

Sunday's playoff matinee between the Knicks and Pistons had outstanding performances on both sides, but officials made the deciding play, turning what came before it into a footnote.