'Terrible, Unfair, Unjust, and Stupid': Pacers HC Defends Scott Foster In Light Of Public Scrutiny

NBA official Scott Foster has been on the receiving end of a lot of scrutiny following his recent appearances in the NBA playoffs. Following the vitriol the referee has been exposed to following the events of Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle stepped in to defend Foster. While speaking with the media on the matter, he said:

"As far as officiating, it's awful, some of the things I've seen about the officiating, and Scott Foster, in particular. 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 long time, and the ridiculous scrutiny that's been thrown out there is terrible, unfair, unjust, and stupid."

Foster has been made a mockery of on social media, as well as by players, for his appearances on the court. Dubbed "The Extender" among the basketball community, the referee has seen a lot of negativity thrown in his direction for his manner of officiating games.

In this light, the approach by Carlisle is a classy one. Even with the game going against the Pacers, the head coach has shown a mature approach to the situation by defending the referees, who are often the first people to be held accountable in these circumstances.

After a 111-104 loss at home, however, Carlisle and his team will have concerns heading into Game 5. With the series level at 2-2, the balance of power may have shifted in OKC's favor after Friday night's win.

Rick Carlisle Believes That Pascal Siakam Needs To Be The Center Of Indiana's Offense

While strategizing for Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Pacers HC Rick Carlisle claimed that the team needed to run their offense through Pascal Siakam more. While addressing Siakam's low productivity in the fourth quarter of Game 4, he said:

"Yeah, that can't happen. He's a guy that, if we're not playing through him, he needs to touch the ball more. Problems that hindered us in the fourth quarter were inability to rebound the ball, unnecessary fouls, those things have us taking the ball out of bounds after they score, or having to take it out after a free-throw, then they can really set their defense, and the game becomes slower."

Carlisle addressed how Oklahoma's defensive pressure in the fourth quarter is what caused problems for Indiana, particularly with regards to getting the ECF MVP going.

Siakam has been a dominant force in the playoffs, something that has remained consistent in the Finals. Game 4 saw drastically reduced offensive productivity as the forward recorded 20 points on 6-15 shooting from the field. But his remaining contributions of eight rebounds, five assists, five steals, and a block were still impressive.

Taking 15 shots is simply not going to cut it, especially when Tyrese Haliburton also went 7-15 on the night to score 18 points. With an emphasis on Siakam being a more significant element on the court in Game 5, the Pacers will look to secure another win on the road to take a lead in the series on Monday at 8:30 pm ET.