Phoenix Suns star PG Chris Paul’s ongoing problems with NBA referee Scott Foster is a lingering issue. As of late, the Suns seem to be struggling with the New Orleans Pelicans with All-Star SG Devin Booker. However, the battle seems to be not between Paul and the Pelicans but also between the referrees. Paul made it abundantly clear in the post-game press conference that he was disappointed with the number of free throws his team was able to shoot versus the opposition, reported Evan Bleier for InsideHook.com.
“They’re getting to the free-throw line a lot. If I were a betting person, that’s 11 consecutive games,” Paul remarked following the game. “Eleven in a row.”
Paul has now lost 14 straight games when refereed by Foster, per Sports Illustrated. Foster has officiated the last 11 straight postseason of Paul’s losses. Overall, Paul is 2-15 in playoff games when being officiated by Foster. This is mind boggling within itself; however, many are beginning to wonder if there’s a legitimate case to be made for a personal vendetta between the two. While Paul has criticized Foster heavily publicly, which may have caused a rift between them. Not to mention, Paul is not only a star PG for the Phoenix Suns but he’s also the head of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).
Paul’s latest comments about Foster
During the star PGs time in Oklahoma City, he managed to carry this young team to the playoffs in 2019-20. The Thunder faced off with the Houston Rockets featuring James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Ultimately, Paul was able to take the playoff series to seven games, but they lost and were booted out of the bubble that season. During the game, there was a controversial delay of a game called by Foster that led to the Thunder being kicked out of the playoffs.
I asked Chris Paul about the officiating – specifically that delay of game call. He named Scott Foster as says he knows he’ll get fined.
A passionate response that includes “that shit don’t make no sense…we could have won the game” pic.twitter.com/w2MpKr3Uyr
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) September 3, 2020
Paul also encountered a situation last year during the NBA finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. Ironically, the two games Foster officiated were the two most lopsided losses of Phoenix Sun’s playoff run regarding free throws, according to ESPN. It became so noticeable that HC of the Suns Monty Williams stated his discomfort with the calls; however, not excusing his team’s performance.
“I won’t publicly complain about fouls,” Williams stated. “That’s not something I’ll do. However, you can check the statistics. We had 16 free throws tonight, while one individual had 17.”
“We need to learn from that. We need to get ahead of our opponents.”
