Pacers coach Rick Carlisle defends referee Scott Foster: ‘He’s a great official’

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Pacers coach Rick Carlisle gave an impassioned defense Sunday of veteran NBA referee and lightning rod Scott Foster after he was ripped by Indiana fans and media commentators for the officiating in Game 4 of the finals.

“I think it’s awful with some of the things I’ve seen about the officiating, with Scott Foster in particular,” Carlisle said before the Pacers’ practice. “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, and the ridiculous scrutiny that’s being thrown out there is terrible. It’s unfair and unjust.”

The Pacers blew a 10-point lead late in the third quarter and lost Game 4 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 111-104, to even the series at 2-2. The Thunder took 38 free throws in the game, but there was not a large disparity in attempts, as the Pacers took 33.

While Carlisle declined to say what he was responding to in his defense of Foster, an online review of commentary about Foster showed a number of harsh criticisms, including from Carlisle’s hometown news outlet, the Indianapolis Star, which published a headline on its website that read: “‘Just an abomination. It was typical Scott Foster.’ Pacers fans lament ref’s calls in NBA Finals Game 4 loss.”

The first part of the headline was a quotation from media personality and former NBA announcer Bill Simmons, who blasted Foster after the game on Zach Lowe’s podcast, which he hosts as part of Simmons’ Ringer network.

“It was just an abomination. It was typical Scott Foster, all over the place, just involved,” Simmons said to Lowe. “Weird stoppages, missed calls, calling touch fouls, then not calling somebody getting clubbed in the head. They had no control of this entire game.”

Foster, 58, is routinely rated by the NBA as one of the league’s top officials, which is why he is annually a part of the rotating pool of officials who work finals games. He has officiated at least one finals game every season since 2008 and, heading into the 2025 finals, had worked 25 championship series games.

Foster has a reputation in the league as an “extender” of playoff series because of a popular perception that teams trailing in the series tend to win games in which he officiates (this perception is refuted by data kept by the league). Foster is unpopular among players for his sometimes confrontational attitude when working games. He also exchanged 134 phone calls with disgraced referee Tim Donaghy during a seven-month span when Donaghy was betting on NBA games and providing inside information to bookies. But Foster was never accused of wrongdoing by the federal authorities who charged Donaghy, nor by the league.

This is the second time since the finals started that Carlisle has issued a vehement defense of someone who is, for whatever reason, an easy target for criticism. Just a few moments before Game 1, Carlisle offered unsolicited support of ESPN broadcaster Doris Burke, whom The Athletic reported could be out after this finals from the network’s main broadcast team.

In the case of Foster, Carlisle was asked two questions by a reporter — one about responding to tough losses and the other about the officiating. Carlisle answered the other question first, and then let it rip on behalf of Foster.

The NBA does not announce the officiating crews for the finals until 9 a.m. on game days, the next of which is on Monday in Oklahoma City. Foster is unlikely to be assigned Game 5, but if there is a Game 7, he could easily be the crew chief for that game.

Meanwhile, most of the rest of the players and coaches who spoke on Sunday talked about the adjustments each team has made or needs to make heading into Game 5, as well as the nature of a tied series with a championship on the line.

A sampling:

Thunder All-NBA forward Jalen Williams: “This is like a totally new series. You’re treating this as Game 1, you know what I mean? You can’t really focus on what happened in the past or what you could have changed on Game 1. You’re just looking at the fact that it’s tied up now. I feel like that’s the most clean-slate attitude that you can have with it. I think that’s the approach that both teams are taking.”

Pacers All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton: “I feel great. It’s the best part about playoff series, is when you get the chance to respond. I think that’s the great thing about sports. You’re going to have good games. You’re going to have bad games. But there’s nothing like the game to respond.”

You can judge whose comments — Carlisle’s, or, well, anyone else’s — generate the most conversation on this finals off day.

(Photo: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)

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