The Detroit Pistons are pointing fingers, but they know where the real blame lies. After a controversial no-call on Ausar Thompson in the final seconds of Game 5, the team is left to grapple with a heartbreaking 117-113 overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers—and a 3-2 series deficit. But while the missed foul call stings, the Pistons admit they have no one to blame but themselves.

With the game tied at 103 and seconds ticking away, Thompson mirrored Donovan Mitchell's drive to the rim, swatting his shot from behind. As Thompson secured the rebound, he was bumped and tripped by Jarrett Allen. The Little Caesars Arena crowd erupted—convinced a foul had been committed. But referee Tony Brothers kept his whistle silent, and the clock expired, sending the game to overtime. "He fouled Ausar," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the game. "It's clear. He trips him when he's going for a loose ball. End-of-game situation, that's tough."

Had the call been made, Thompson would have stepped to the free-throw line with a chance to win the game and give Detroit a commanding 3-2 series lead. Instead, the Cavaliers capitalized in overtime, powered by a 9-0 run to close the fourth quarter. For the Pistons, the no-call is a painful footnote to a collapse that saw them squander a nine-point lead with just three minutes remaining.

Detroit led for over 36 minutes—three-quarters of the game—and by as many as 15 points. But in the clutch, their offense went cold, missing shot after shot while Cleveland clawed back. "Tonight was tough," one player admitted after the game, echoing the sentiment of a locker room that knows this loss was self-inflicted. The Pistons now head to Cleveland on Friday, facing elimination in a series that once seemed firmly in their grasp.

For a team built on grit and defensive tenacity, the lesson is clear: in the playoffs, you can't leave it in the hands of the officials. Whether it's a missed call or a missed shot, the result is the same—and the Pistons have only themselves to look at in the mirror.