DETROIT – The owner of the Detroit Pistons spoke out about his team getting a fair shot after their Game 5 win over the Knicks to bring the series back home.
Tom Gores joined a chorus of fans on social media who were celebrating a season-extending victory Tuesday night. The Pistons staved off elimination by taking down the Knicks at Madison Square Garden and forcing a Game 6 at Little Caesars Arena.
“Give us a fair shot, and we’ll show you there are no limits to our grit, heart, and hustle,” Gores posted on X. “Ready to come home and get back to work in front of the best fans in the world.”
The Pistons trail the best-of-7 series 2-3, but they could just as easily have a 3-2 lead and a chance to clinch at home Thursday night at LCA.
When Gores says, “Give us a fair shot,” he’s likely referencing the officiating, which has been perceived by some as one-sided in favor of New York. Most notably, the NBA admitted a foul should have been called at the end of Game 4, when Tim Hardaway Jr. shot a 3-pointer at the buzzer while trailing by one point.
He missed, and a foul was not called, so the Pistons lost. Theoretically, he would have had three free throws needing just one to tie or two to win (his shot came at the buzzer).
The Pistons had plenty of chances to win that game on their own, though, and despite all that’s happened -- a 21-0 Knicks run to take Game 1, a devastating loss at home in Game 3, and that controversial ending in Game 4 -- the Pistons are still alive.
And as Gores said, Pistons fans are ready to welcome this team back home for what should be an incredible environment.