Chris Paul and Scott Foster have a burning hatred for one another. Paul, the star point guard for the Golden State Warriors, doesn’t bother hiding his contempt for Foster, a long-time NBA official. Black sports news shows that Paul is always unhappy when Foster officiates.
In the last 14 playoff games Foster has officiated for, Paul’s team lost. When Golden State and Phoenix met on Nov. 22, the battle between Paul and Foster reignited. The Warriors, who are no stranger to fights on the court, saw Paul and Foster get at it again.
During the first half, Paul was whistled for a technical foul due to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. When Paul continued to protest the call, Foster hit him with another technical foul and ejected him from the game. Paul was seen on camera lobbing expletives toward Foster following his ejection from the game.
In something that Paul wouldn’t describe as a coincidence, the Warriors would end up losing 123-115 to the Suns. Paul had played with Phoenix before coming over to Golden State. The NBA will likely try to quash this beef at some point.
Foster was tied up in the Tim Donaghy scandal, and the NBA would like to avoid any accusations of fixing or bias. The NBA does have a history of trying to keep certain referees apart when there is a known beef. Former San Antonio Spurs star forward Tim Duncan had a feud with Joey Crawford that led to the two men being separated several times.
Atlanta and Brooklyn Involved in Wild One
Trae Young knocked down 8 of his 16 3-point attempts and finished with 43 points to help Atlanta eke out a win over Brooklyn Wednesday night. But Young’s point total during the Hawks’ 147-145 overtime win wasn’t even the highest score. Mikal Bridges ended up putting up a game-high 45 points for Brooklyn despite only making two 3-pointers.
Looking at up-to-date sports news will show that four of the Nets’ starting five scored 20 or more points in the loss. Atlanta ended up having a more balanced effort between the bench and starting lineup. Four of the Hawks’ starters scored 14 or more points, while three players on the bench also finished in double figures.
Boston Wins First Major Test with Milwaukee
The Bucks and Celtics hope they are on a collision course for a meeting in the Eastern Conference Final. Despite Boston star guard Jayson Tatum being ill, the Celtics were able to squeak past Milwaukee at home to cement their place at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Boston has the NBA’s best record.
The Celtics showcased why they have such an outstanding record early and often against Milwaukee. Boston jumped out to a 21-point lead in the first half and never trailed. Tatum led the way by overcoming his illness to contribute 23 points and 11 rebounds.
Damian Lillard was able to step up for the Bucks and finished with 27 points and five rebounds. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t up to his regular standard. After scoring more than 40 points in his previous two games, he was limited to 21 points.
Rockets Have Made Turnaround
The Ime Udoka story is a bizarre one. Two seasons ago, Udoka led the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals for the first time in over a decade. However, during the following offseason, Udoka was terminated by the Celtics for inappropriate workplace behavior.
The ensuing controversy left it uncertain for how long Udoka would be out of the game. However, the Houston Rockets were willing to roll the dice after having one of the worst seasons in team history. The Rockers finished last season 22-60 and were rewarded with a high draft pick.
Houston beat up on Memphis 111-91 Wednesday to show the difference a year makes. The Rockets are now off to a 7-6 start this season. Houston may not be able to keep it up all year, but this is a solid start.
Popovich Implores For Us to All Get Along
San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich couldn’t take it anymore. While Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard was at the free-throw line, Popovich scrambled toward the public address announcer’s microphone. He picked it up and told the crowd to stop booing Leonard.
Leonard had been a long-time star for San Antonio and helped the team win their last championship. However, fans felt burned by how Leonard left. Leonard had sat out for longer than the team thought he should have during an injury. This would lead to a feud between him and Popovich.
Ultimately, Leonard would go to Toronto and lead the Raptors to a championship. After a year with the Raptors, he went to Los Angeles. The crowd’s booing didn’t stop when Popovich asked. Leonard seemed bothered by the situation, finishing with a team-high 26 points in a 109-102 win. Popovich was never able to get the crowd to stop booing throughout as the Spurs fell to 3-12 on the year.
Pacers Put Up Big Numbers in Regulation
Indiana has had an inconsistent start to the season. However, playing the Hawks provided Indiana with a way to show off. The Pacers would end up going off for 157 points in regulation against Atlanta to secure a five-point win.
Young led the Hawks with 38 points, and Indiana got 37 points from Tyrese Haliburton. Indiana shot 60.5 percent from the field and 48.9 percent from the 3-point line. The Pacers are comfortable being involved with wild shootouts.
Indiana has scored 150 or more points twice this season. The Pacers have also allowed a team to score 155 points against them. While Indiana may not have the makeup of a championship team, the Pacers should never be boring this season.
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