Overview

• Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle publicly defended Scott Foster’s performance after Game 4, calling criticism of the veteran official unfair and unjust.
• The NBA’s Last Two-Minute Report found that officials correctly handled every foul in the fourth quarter of Game 4.
• For Game 5 in Oklahoma City, the league appointed John Goble, Marc Davis, James Williams and Ben Taylor as referees without including Foster.
• Foster enters his 30th season with 1,675 regular-season games and 241 postseason games on his resume and is nicknamed “The Extender” for perceived series-extending calls.
• ESPN insiders suggest Carlisle’s strong support may be aimed at securing Foster as crew chief if the Finals extend to Game 7.