Here we are with yet another episode of NBA officiating taking center stage during the playoffs. The Cavaliers and Pistons battled back and forth all night in a thriller that came down to the final seconds. Cade Cunningham and the Pistons were moments away from securing home-court advantage in the series, but a controversial no-call changed everything. Instead of walking away with the win, Detroit now finds itself staring at elimination, while head coach J.B. Bickerstaff once again voiced his frustration with the officiating.

Ausar Thompson was the X-Factor for the Pistons all night with some incredible defense on Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. With the scores even in the last 24 seconds of the 4th quarter, the Pistons trusted Thompson to get a stop on Mitchell, and he did not disappoint. In fact, he even secured the ball after which Jarrett Allen unintentionally tripped Thompson to the ground. While the entire arena was waiting for a whistle, the referees decided to let the clock run out to send the game to overtime. Bickerstaff was furious, arguing with referees to get two free throws. However, nothing changed.

“He (Jarrett Allen) fouled Ausar. It’s clear. He trips him when he’s going for a loose ball,” said Bickerstaff.

The Pistons coach was visibly frustrated, believing his team had earned the chance to close the game out at the free-throw line. Detroit had executed defensively in the biggest moment of the night, only for the ending to be overshadowed by the officiating controversy.

Ultimately, the Pistons fell 117-113 in overtime. James Harden delivered his first 30-point playoff performance for the Cavaliers and helped Cleveland take a commanding 3-2 lead in the series. Detroit had opportunities to regain control in overtime, but Cunningham and company were unable to recover from the momentum swing created by the controversial ending to regulation.

“Believe that’s a foul that should have been called on that trip [by Allen] on Ausar Thompson,” said ESPN’s Tim Legler. “The contact takes place; there’s a good second and a half or more. First, he steps on his foot, and then he hits him again with his other leg,” he added.

Legler commented after reviewing the slow-motion replay during the broadcast, and he appeared convinced the play warranted a foul call. His breakdown only added fuel to the growing frustration surrounding the sequence, especially given the circumstances late in the game.

At that point, both teams were already in the bonus, meaning any foul would have sent Detroit to the free-throw line. That would have allowed Thompson to put the Pistons ahead with less than a second remaining. Thompson attempted and made two free throws during the game, both in the fourth quarter, and Detroit likely would have needed just one conversion to escape with the win.

Despite the disappointment, Bickerstaff made it clear his team has no intention of backing down.

“You’re going to have to choke the life out of this team. We are not going to go down without a fight.”

The Pistons have been here before. They were down 3-1 to the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs this season. However, when clear foul calls are missed at crucial moments, it kills the team’s momentum. We have heard from the Pistons about the play. Let’s see what the referees have to say about it.

Referee Tony Brothers shares why a foul wasn’t called

Tony Brothers, Tyler Ford and Gediminas Petraitis were the referees assigned to the game. Crew chief Brothers spoke about the controversial play: “During live play, both players were going for the ball, and there was incidental contact with the legs with no player having possession of the ball.”

He added, “The play will be reviewed by the league office tomorrow, and it will be posted in the L2M.”

While the league’s Last Two Minute Report may provide further clarification, it will do little to change the result for Detroit. Cade Cunningham also shared his frustration over the no-call after the game.

“We all saw the play. I think it was pretty clear that it was a foul. He has the ball in his possession, he is running forward, he is tripped up… Nobody wants to make that call, I guess.”

The loss will be a difficult one for the Pistons to forget, especially with Game 6 shifting back to Cleveland. Still, Detroit has responded to adversity before, and the team now faces one final opportunity to keep its season alive.

Whether the series returns for a Game 7 remains to be seen, but the controversy surrounding Game 5 is unlikely to fade anytime soon.