OKLAHOMA CITY — Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle defended referee Scott Foster, who has come beneath fireplace for his officiating in Sport 4 of the NBA Finals between the Pacers and Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.
“It is terrible what a few of the issues I’ve seen concerning the officiating and Scott Foster specifically,” Carlisle mentioned earlier than the Pacers’ apply on Sunday afternoon. “He is a terrific official, he is carried out a terrific job on this playoffs.”
Carlisle acknowledged his relationship with Foster goes again 30 years, to when Foster started officiating within the NBA throughout the 1994-95 season. Foster has been given the nickname “The Extender” for the notion that groups trailing in a playoff collection have typically received video games he has officiated, inflicting the collection to go on extra video games.
“We have had him lots of occasions,” Carlisle mentioned. “And this ridiculous scrutiny that is being thrown out there’s horrible and unfair and unjust and silly.”
Carlisle mentioned he didn’t wish to get into specifics about what scrutiny he was responding to.
The Pacers and Thunder mixed to shoot 71 free throws in Sport 4 on Friday night time in Indianapolis, with the Thunder having a 38-33 edge. There have been two flagrant fouls, two technical fouls and 53 whole foul calls within the recreation.
“There have been a crap ton of fouls. That is why there have been a crap ton of free throws,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault mentioned afterward. “I assumed the refs did an excellent job tonight. Each groups shot lots of free throws. It was bodily. That was what the sport was. It was a bodily recreation on each ends of the ground for each groups.”
However an obvious missed name with 2:23 remaining within the fourth quarter because the Thunder made their comeback caught the ire of followers. Thunder guard and NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander appeared to commit an offensive foul by pushing off Pacers ahead Aaron Nesmith as he defended him, earlier than Gilgeous-Alexander hit the go-ahead jumper to place Oklahoma Metropolis up 104-103.
Gilgeous-Alexander shot eight free throws within the fourth quarter because the Thunder received the sport 111-104 to tie the collection at 2.
Sport 5 is Monday night time (8:30 ET on ABC) in Oklahoma Metropolis.