Pacers coach Carlisle offers defense of ref after criticism in Game 4 of NBA Finals

Rick Carlisle

Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle offered an impassioned and somewhat unprompted defense of referee Scott Foster on Sunday, evidently aware of the mountains of online criticism that came after Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night—a 111-04 loss by the Pacers that left the best-of-7 series tied at 2-2.

Foster was one of the three on-court referees assigned to Game 4, which had more fouls called and more free throws awarded than any of the three previous games in the series. Foster—who has long been a lightning rod for critics—did not work any of those first three games.

“I think it’s awful, some of the things I’ve seen about the officiating and Scott Foster in particular,” Carlisle said. “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 called 23 personal fouls in the game—12 on Oklahoma City, 11 on Indiana, with one flagrant on each as well. He also issued double technical fouls, one going to Indiana’s Obi Toppin, the other to Oklahoma City’s Isaiah Hartenstein.

“We have to do a better job not fouling,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton acknowledged after Game 4.

Friday was Foster’s 26th finals game worked, more than any other active referee. He has also worked 262 playoff games, again the most among active refs. But whenever Foster does a game, online critics tend to weigh in—almost from the moment that the league announces the crews for a given night, which happens around 9 a.m. on game days.

The league does not reveal its ranking system for referees, but Foster having worked 18 finals makes clear that he’s traditionally one of the highest-rated in the league.

And it should be noted that Carlisle was the losing coach in Game 4—yet still 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 said.

Carlisle got to the Foster-related comments after being asked a question Sunday about how the Pacers let a 10-point second-half lead slip away, got outscored 31-17 in the fourth quarter of Game 4 and what role he thought officiating played in that outcome.

“Tough losses are a part of a playoff series,” Carlisle said. “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 one of the 12 referees assigned to the finals. Each works one of the first four games, and then the NBA selects again to see who will work Games 5, 6 and if necessary, Game 7 as well. If Foster doesn’t work Game 6, it would seem likely that he would be a pick to work Game 7 if the series goes that far.

Pacers after losses

It’s been a back-and-forth over the first four games—and now, a best-of-three will decide the NBA title. Game 5 is in Oklahoma City on Monday night, with the Thunder trying to take their first lead of the series and the Pacers trying to head back home one win away from a championship.

Indiana’s resilience is about to be tested again.

The Pacers haven’t lost back-to-back games since mid-March, going 10-0 in that span in the game immediately following a defeat.

“We play better with our backs against the wall,” forward Myles Turner said. “Adversity is something that’s going to bring out the best in you. I think that’s really what it is, is just a response. … When your back is against the wall, that’s typically where we get our best basketball.”

Road records

Taking the regular season, the playoffs and the play-in tournament into account, there have been 597 wins by road teams this season in the NBA.

That matches last season’s total—and is one shy of the record of 598 set in 2021-22.