Bill Simmons Shreds 'Abomination' Game 4 NBA Finals Decision

Appearing on The Ringer colleague Zach Lowe's eponymous podcast "The Zach Lowe Show," Bill Simmons mercilessly went after the league's refereeing crew for their handling of the clash.

“It was just an abomination," Simmons observed. "It was a typical Scott Foster [game] — all over the map, just involved like weird stoppages, missed calls, like calling touch fouls, then not calling somebody getting clubbed in the head. They had no control of this entire game." 

Foster has been jokingly referred to as "The Extender" by Simmons and others for his proclivity to perhaps artificially extend playoff series.

"There was over 70 free throws," Simmons noted. There were 71. "Both coaches were mad. Both benchers were mad. Everyone was mad. There was no rhyme or reason.”

Most egregious, perhaps, of the generous foul calls was this strange decision to award a charity stripe approach to MVP guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after the guard tried to kick into his defender, Pacers swingman Aaron Nesmith, on a one-handed elbow fadeaway.

The timing of the call is emblematic of the end of the game. Indiana was leading by four points up until contact was called with 3:34 left in regulation. 

After that, Oklahoma City would go on a 12-1 run to close out the contest and snag a 111-104 road win.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a game-high 35 points on 12-of-24 shooting from the floor and 10-of-10 shooting from the foul line, plus three rebounds, three steals and a block.