Knicks – Pistons referee controversy has Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley entertaining NFL-style game reviews

Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley watched the Detroit Pistons lose to the New York Knicks due to an officiating mistake.

Knicks – Pistons referee controversy has Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley entertaining NFL-style game reviews

Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley want NFL-style review system

Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and the Inside the NBA crew watched as the Detroit Pistons battled the New York Knicks until the end of Game 4 of their first-round series. Both sides knew how the result would impact their season and went toe-to-toe with each other.

This exciting game was a testament to how exciting this year’s end of the regular season and playoffs have been. Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal saw how the Pistons answered the Knicks’ late-game rally and were down by just a point. The home team had momentum as well as possession.

After Cade Cunningham missed his go-ahead shot, players from both sides scrambled for the loose ball. It rolled on the floor and ended up in the hands of Tim Hardaway Jr. As he took off to shoot a three, Knicks forward Josh Hart bodied him. But no foul was called, and the Knicks won the game.

However, after the game, a pool report confirmed that it was indeed a foul. But it was too late to have any impact on either the score or the result of the game. Considering how this will impact the series, Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson said this.

I would like to see another voice coming out of Secaucus that says, ‘Hey, that’s a game-deciding play, I’ve looked at it, and it is a foul.’ Before you say this game is over, there is somebody else sitting in New York who says this game can’t end this way.

Ernie Johnson said

Johnson suggested that an NFL-style play-by-play reviewer could be in a position to intervene and avoid a bad decision from impacting the result. Both Charles Barkley and O’Neal immediately agreed to this idea.

JB Bickerstaff did not have challenges left after officiating mistake

Detroit Pistons fans packing Little Caesars Arena were in shock when the nearest official watching this play happen did not call a foul. Head coach JB Bickerstaff was livid and walked onto the court yelling at officials. Later, during the post-game press conference, he said.

There’s contact on Tim Hardaway’s jump shot. I don’t know any other way around it, there’s contact on his jump shot. The guy leaves his feet, he’s at Timmy’s mercy. I repeat, there’s contact on his jump shot.

JB Bickerstaff said

JB Bickerstaff could not do anything to alter the course of this game. He had exhausted all his coaching challenges by then. That is normal for head coaches to do, but in some cases, some hold on if they notice that a game is tight.

The Minnesota Timberwolves used a challenge with 20 seconds to go. That helped them overturn a loose-ball call, which ended up helping them extend the lead and win against the Los Angeles Lakers. Bickerstaff could have held on to a challenge for such late-game situations.

Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley believes that call could decide Detroit Pistons’ season

Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley agreed that something needs to change to avoid such game-deciding officiating mistakes. But when colleague Kenny Smith was trying to suggest that such a reviewer could make matters worse, the round mound of rebound said.

It’s very rare that one play decides Ws and Ls. That play decided Ws and Ls.

Charles Barkley said

Hearing this, the Big Aristotle said.

Not only that Chuck, it might decide the whole series.

Shaquille O’Neal said

They could be right, as the Detroit Pistons now find themselves in a 1-3 hole. It is rare to come back from that situation and win a playoff series. That is why the two Hall of Famers believe the Pistons’ season could be decided by that one officiating mistake.

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