2025 NBA Finals: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers

Scott Foster: “I just tried to be aggressive. I knew what it would’ve looked like if we didn’t win tonight. I didn’t wanna go down without swinging.”

 

Scott Foster has learned how to make the score sheet look clean on the surface... but if you actually pay attention to the foul calls themselves...

 

LOL did not expect this whine fest about the refs. This was not on the refs, though I don’t know wtf happened between the 1st and 2nd half because suddenly they started calling some bullshit. Truth is, Pacers were tired this game and I really think OKC’s coach did a wonderful job exploiting the big men match up. Toppin was gassed at the end of the 3rd so he puts in two bigs to force Carlisle to match it and he did, with Turner who was ****ing awful with those 3pt attempts and non-existent defense. My god does he underperform, last game was only saved by the 4th quarter when he turned it on.

But in general this was lost in the lack of paying attention to small things by the Pacers and choking FTs. You cannot let Chet and Caruso get offensive putbacks. You cannot steal the ball and then let an OKC guy just take it away. You cannot just float around, pick the ball up in the corner and throw up some wild passes that get intercepted. They played into OKC’s hands by just picking the ball up and roaming around the perimeter. They were lucky the refs called some mild contact in the 2nd half too.

This game clearly lacked better rotations by Carlisle, also bad job on not even using his challenge where several times it was clearly not a foul, less silly fouls by reaching would’ve helped and they should really establish a Turner or Siakam down low. Must be nice though being Shai, knowing you get those fouls called.

 

Indy blew this game and possibly even the series with this loss.

 

It's crazy that people will complain about officials when SGA had 0 free throws through 3 quarters. Majority of what he got was fouls to extend the game.

 

And that's how he "got hot" in the 4th quarter, 10 FTs. It's not just he getting FTs. It's also he pushing off to get space and never gets called.

 

Did you watch the game? That’s the only answer I have for you.

this was as blatant as Scott waving off our 3s in game 7 vs the warriors.

I’m a neutral observer tbh, as a basketball fan that was not an unbiased product. Shai got touch rip through all night while pushing elbowing off which should have been an offensive foul. Then you have dort and Caruso shove their defender out of bounds multiple times, most importantly on that last 2 minute call that made it a 2 possession game. If you’re going to call it call it both ways. Edit: I posted the clips some posted on reddit earlier but they’ve all been taken down multiple times.

the game was over when they called that regular foul a flagrant. People are acting like box score etc is going to tell you this. It’s common sense how they do it, Tim Donaghy is on record saying they do exactly what what foster did last night. Continually dispute the flow of the game and keep the score close. OKC should have been down 20

 

Exactly, and that leaves the defense unsure everytime they defend him after

 

You totally missed my point. He only shot free throws when pacers were intentionally fouling at the end of the game to extend it. He didn't even get actual foul calls expect the obvious one where nesmith clearly hit him in the wrist.

You can make a case that Nesmith was grabbing him before he pushed off too. Good no call.

 

If he got touch rip through all night why didn't he shoot any free throws was my question. I watched the fourth. He made ridiculous shots. All 6 of his free throw attempts were purely on intentional fouls to extend game with under 2 minutes.

 

If you're going to lie about something, its not a good idea to do it about something that was nationally televised.

NO.. he did not get his "only" FTs when they were intentionally lying. This is such a blatant mistruth that nobody should engage with you at all after this, you did not watch the game and are coming in here wasting people's time with your bs agenda. They have a compilation of all his FTs on reddit, go there. Maybe you'll finally watch some real film

 

You either suffered a severe hit to the head, are trolling, or didn't watch the game. This is recorded footage, I am not wasting my time over such a blatantly disingenuous take.

 

I didn't say all I said 6 and he only shot 10 total free throws...

 

I don't need to watch it I remember the game. He had 2 free throws going into fourth.

even if you want to say 1 questionable call on his first atemmpt.
The remaining 6 all happened under 1 minute. Nesmith fouled him with .3 on shot clock obvious foul hit him in the wrist when he was shooting.

2 free throws off mathurin fouling before the ball was unbounded.
2 more at the very end of game when they intentionally fouled.

Sure he pushed off but if you watch the play Nesmith kinda pushes him first. It's funny that MJ did the same thing for a game winner against Utah and no one complains but Shai is getting murdered for it.

I have no bias either way don't care who wins cus neither are the rockets. Shai has been getting Harden treatment in playoffs. They have swallowed their whistle a lot more than usual and people still complain even though he shoots less free throws than other stars and drives way more

 

Do you agree that he was not called for pushing off even once while he did it all series long? Sometimes they even called that defensive foul. It's how the defender's chest fouled his forearm.

 

did Jordan ever get called for pushing off? Stars get star calls. Jordan's most famous shot ever is a push off...

 

This shove in the back leading to a turnover was huge.

 

There is amazing basketball being played this series.

Both teams are incredibly well-coached and both execute beautifully. I didn't expect the Pacers would be able to defend as well as they are. I understand the ratings are down because of the small markets involved but this is wonderful basketball. It's like the final evolution of NBA Finals basketball.