PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns witnessed Chris Paul’s unique dynamic with manager Scott Foster up close and personal. They did it again Wednesday night with a 123-115 Suns win, this time from the other end.
Late in the second quarter, Paul fouled Kevin Durant and had a heated exchange with Foster. This went on long enough for a technician to come. Shortly after, as Foster was walking away from Paul, the point guard pointed at Foster while continuing to express his displeasure and was ejected. Ball moved towards Foster before teammate Stephen Curry grabbed his arm and blocked him from approaching the longtime referee.
Chris Paul was ejected by Scott Foster during his return to Phoenix 👀 pic.twitter.com/W5brvPDHd4
-Arizona Sports (@AZSports) November 23, 2023
Foster said in the pool report that the technical fouls were due to “unsportsmanlike conduct” and that Paul continued to complain before the ejection.
Paul, the former Sun, had a long string of playoff losses under Foster’s management, and Paul had held previous meetings with the league about it. After Phoenix lost in a playoff game in the first round of the 2021 playoffs, Paul alluded to that losing streak. Foster also officiated Paul’s Suns losses in Games 3 and 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals, as well as a Game 3 defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2022 first round before the Suns won Game 2 in their series opener versus Los Angeles. The Angeles Clippers last season cut the streak.
Durant got to see the end of it as a teammate, Josh Okogie was around for all of last season while Booker saw all three years of a strange relationship with the Suns.
“Yes,” Booker replied with a laugh when asked if he could sense the tension and uniqueness in the relationship between the two. “Because I saw it up close, too. This was long before Chris arrived in Phoenix. That’s some history they might have to settle between themselves one day when they retire.”
Booker’s perspective tells you how serious this is and how it’s not just something for fun. Paul, for the first time in many instances, has been asked about a moment in which Foster revealed that there were some additional layers to it beyond simply not agreeing with a particular referee.
“It’s personal. We had a situation several years ago and it was personal. “The league knows, everyone knows. There was a meeting and all that. It’s just a case with my son. I agree with the reference saying anything. Just don’t use technology to get your point across. I have to do a better job of making sure I stay on the floor for my teammates but yeah that’s it.
Paul explained.
“Just knowing that I met him and my dad and (former Clippers coach) Doc Rivers and (former NBA executive) Bob Delaney and all of us,” Paul said.
This was as much as Paul wanted to share.
“It was the whole thing, man,” he said. “But it remains that way for a while.”
Okogie had been around Paul long enough to know the second technology was coming, referring to it as “tons” of history.
“It was just a crazy sequence. You know his and Scott’s history,” Durant said. “Definitely a weird end to the half but I’m glad we got points out of it.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr received a technical foul on a five-point swing as well.
“I think Scott felt like Chris didn’t stop and kept going and that’s why he gave him the second one,” Kerr said.
It’s been a troubling subplot for a very long time now and begs the question as to why Foster even officiates matches with Paul in it anymore. The game was unfortunately defined by that moment, a theme in games in which Foster shares the floor with Paul.
With no disdain regarding the difficult task facing those responsible, they must all be viewed as borderline unknowns to the casual fan. Fans should not be aware of their inclinations or relationships with certain players. But Foster’s name was trending online again.
Booker said it best.
“The more you can keep the referees out of the game, the better,” he added. “People are here to see the top competitors at the highest level and obviously doing their job. I say that like I’m a professional at it but I’m also in it. It’s an emotional game and things happen.”
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