You know referees do their job well when fans don’t know their names. Scott Foster is not one of those referees.
When fans saw Foster’s name on the officiating crew for Sunday’s Game 7 between the Sixers and Celtics, controversy seemed inevitable. Foster has a habit of taking over games and missing the simplest of calls in the process. Yet, the NBA continues to give the longtime official marquee assignments.
After all, few officials would handle the incident between Georges Niang and Jaylen Brown worse than Foster.
During the first half, Brown leaped towards the Sixers bench as he successfully saved a long rebound. Brown then turned and had some words for the Sixers, but that was because Niang grabbed Brown’s leg.
Jaylen Brown and Georges Niang were both given a technical foul after Niang appeared to grab Brown's leg from the bench. pic.twitter.com/rBwelUVROZ
— ESPN (@espn) May 14, 2023
Rather than hit Niang with a technical (or a possible ejection) and send the Celtics to the line, Foster called technicals on both Brown and Niang. He essentially punished Brown for being upset about a bench player grabbing his leg. It made no sense. In a close game, the Celtics could have used that point. But with a double technical, neither team gets to shoot free throws.
Fans weren’t pleased with how Foster handled the situation either.
This was how Twitter reacted
Game 7 Scott Foster has shown up 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9GIEpDgDtZ
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) May 14, 2023
Weakest tech on brown https://t.co/LoUwDeOuv1
— Mahcus Smaht (@_Jokai) May 14, 2023
If you’re on the bench and you lay a finger on someone who’s actually playing then you should be ejected from the building, taken to the airport, and put on the next flight to Tulsa. Just my politics. https://t.co/mjtEnq9rAY
— Michael Hurley (@michaelFhurley) May 14, 2023
How is this not an immediate ejection? https://t.co/DV7CfGyK7X
— Brad Kelly (@CoachBKelly) May 14, 2023
I’ve seen Scott Foster more than any player on the court so far
— Tate Frazier (@tatefrazier) May 14, 2023
This is what a double tech looks like according to Scott Foster pic.twitter.com/a9k67X5Lzz
— z-#BringItIn ⚒️ 🏀 (@rockrichard) May 14, 2023
One of these other refs should throw out Scott Foster
— Stuckey (@Stuckey2) May 14, 2023
Jaylen getting a T in this situation is absolutely ridiculous. Scott foster is a bozo https://t.co/kmlExEgYwU
— Griffin (@G2griff) May 14, 2023
Why is Jalen Brown getting a tech? https://t.co/IA1TM0l7gf
— EricTheGreat (@eric_delaluz) May 14, 2023
Niang should have been ejected, if anything.
