By TIM REYNOLDS
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Indiana coach Rick Carlisle supplied an impassioned and considerably unprompted protection of referee Scott Foster on Sunday, evidently conscious of the mountains of on-line criticism that got here after Recreation 4 of the NBA Finals.
Foster was one of many three on-court referees assigned to Recreation 4, which had extra fouls known as and extra free throws awarded than any of the three earlier video games within the sequence. Foster — who has lengthy been a lightning rod for critics — didn’t work any of these first three video games.
“I think it’s awful, some of the things I’ve seen about the officiating and Scott Foster in particular,” Carlisle mentioned. “I’ve known Scott Foster for 30 years. He’s a great official. He’s done a great job in these playoffs. We’ve had him a lot of times.”
Foster known as 23 private fouls within the recreation — 12 on Oklahoma Metropolis, 11 on Indiana, with one flagrant on every as properly. He additionally issued double technical fouls, one going to Indiana’s Obi Toppin, the opposite to Oklahoma Metropolis’s Isaiah Hartenstein.
“We have to do a better job not fouling,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton acknowledged after Recreation 4.
Friday was Foster’s twenty sixth Finals recreation labored, greater than some other lively referee. He has additionally labored 262 playoff video games, once more probably the most amongst lively refs. However at any time when Foster does a recreation, on-line critics are inclined to weigh in — virtually from the second that the league declares the crews for a given evening, which occurs round 9 a.m. Jap on recreation days.
The league doesn’t reveal its rating system for referees, however Foster’s 18 Finals of expertise clarify that he’s historically one of many highest-rated within the league.
And it must be famous that Carlisle was the shedding coach in Recreation 4 — but nonetheless felt compelled to defend Foster’s work.
“The ridiculous scrutiny that’s being thrown out there is terrible and unfair and unjust and stupid,” Carlisle mentioned.
Carlisle bought to the Foster-related feedback after being requested a query Sunday about how the Pacers let a 10-point second-half lead slip away, bought outscored 31-17 within the fourth quarter of Recreation 4 and what position he thought officiating performed in that final result.
“Tough losses are a part of a playoff series,” Carlisle mentioned. “It’s just if this was easy, they would be pulling people off the street to play in the NBA Finals and coach and do what you guys are doing. You guys are the best in the world. Everybody else here is perceived to be the best in the world at this moment. So, it’s difficult. You look at it, you take it for what it is, and it becomes pretty clear the things that you need to do to be better.”
Foster is among the 12 referees assigned to the Finals. Every works one of many first 4 video games, after which the NBA selects once more to see who will work Video games 5, 6 and if vital, Recreation 7 as properly. If Foster doesn’t work Recreation 6, it will appear doubtless that he can be a choose to work Recreation 7 if the sequence goes that far.
