The Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the Houston Rockets 102-104 in a high-intensity Game 7. The game was a total entertainer, including everything from clutch time fouls to a match-winning block courtsey James Harden. But something really angered veteran Chris Paul.
CP3 scored a triple-double in the game, but seemed far from satisfied in the post-game conference. One reason was that they lost the game when they were so close to winning it. The other was the officiating, which did not go well for the Thunder. Chris Paul, especially, felt it was out of bounds.
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Thunder guard made some serious allegations on the match referee!
While addressing the media, a dejected-looking Chris was questioned about his take on the level of officiating. He looked very serious as he claimed, “It’s crazy what’s been going on in the Bubble. They show the replay sometimes so they… obviously, it’s an advantage if you get to see the replay and then you challenge.” He said this in the context that the officials took multiple reviews to stay sure and check for away-from-the-play foul.
He then specifically named Scott Foster and detailed, “Scott Foster walked over to me and told me- Chris, you ain’t got to do that, I got ‘em sweeping up the floor. Ok, cool! So I started tying my shoe back up and he still called delay-of-the-game. That shit don’t make sense. That’s crazy!”
He also claimed that Scott reminded CP3 of their Game 7 loss against the Spurs.
Thunder guard Chris Paul says referee Scott Foster made a point to tell him before the Game 7 loss to the Thunder tonight that he also reffed his Game 7 loss to the Spurs in 2008 when CP was with the Hornets.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) September 3, 2020
Lastly, he accepted that taking the ref’s name can put a fine on him as he sadly expressed, “That s–t don’t make no sense. … We could have won the game.”
Chris Paul had a history with the ref!
While he played for the Houston Rockets, there had been instances when things went hot between the ref and Chris Paul. It also happened to James Harden after a Lakers vs Rockets game in February 2019, when he called Scott “rude and arrogant” in the post-game conference.
As destiny would have it, Scott was officiating in the Game 7, the decider, when things went a little ugly.
Now, the Thunder missed many opportunities in the clutch time and hence they can not blame it all on the officiating. Luguentz Dort missing out on that three from the downtown, Steven Adams missing on a last-second possession, Chris Paul not getting the ball in the end time and all that led to their loss.
The Rockets will now face the Lakers in the Conference Semis.
