Beef Between Chris Paul, Ref Escalates Following Loss

Chris Paul never mentioned referee Scott Foster by name last night, but the two have some serious history, including last night’s game. Paul has lost 11 straight playoff games over four different teams that Foster has officiated, and he wanted everyone to know that he’s been keeping count, and pretty much placing the blame of the loss on the ref.

Paul talked about it during the presser:

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Chris Paul redirected the end of his final three press conference questions tonight to the same stat: "11 games in a row." Paul's teams have lost 11 straight playoff games refereed by Scott Foster. pic.twitter.com/BvbZTGe3eX

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 28, 2021

Back in 2018, Foster hit up CP3 with a technical foul with under five minutes left in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Paul called him out after the game:

“Yeah, Scott Foster at his finest. You know what I mean? He just never fails. Some of them, you can [communicate] with. You’ve just gotta figure out who you can and you can’t. I got a tech tonight. I’m over there with [referee Courtney Kirkland] saying, ‘That’s Scott, that’s Scott,’ and I got a tech. That’s history there. He the man. That’s who they pay to see.”

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Chris Paul (@CP3) on getting a technical: "I got a tech tonight. (NBA referee) Scott Foster at his finest….Never fails." pic.twitter.com/IJ4JVZ1wiL

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) January 11, 2018

He also clashed with him in another separate incident:

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Chris Paul on his relationship with referee Scott Foster: “I don’t know what else to do – I’ve met with the league with him before. I don’t know what else to do.”
James Harden: “For sure it’s personal, for sure.”
Harden says Foster shouldn’t officiate Rockets games anymore.

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) February 22, 2019

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And another one below:

“It’s crazy. This has been going on in the bubble – like the replays,” Paul said via NBC Sports. “They show the replays sometimes so that, obviously, it’s an advantage if you get to see the replay and then you challenge.

“So, myself, I dropped down to tie my shoe up to hopefully see if we see the replay. Scott Foster walked over to me and told me, ‘Chris, you ain’t got to do that. I got them sweeping up the floor.’ OK, cool. So, I start tying my shoe back up, and he still calls delay of game. That s*** don’t make no sense. But I don’t know. That’s crazy. He just – I don’t know.

“We could’ve won the game, but that situation – the league knows. Yeah. They’re going to fine me. I said his name. Yeah. We already know the history.”

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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 didn’t mention Foster by name last night, so there’s a chance he’ll avoid getting fined.

Smart move not calling him out by name.

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