Phoenix Suns’ Chris Paul’s nemesis Scott Foster to referee Game 6 of NBA Finals

MILWAUKEE – As Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns prepare for Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday night, they do so knowing they’ll see a very familiar face when the game begins.

Scott Foster, who has officiated 11 straight playoff losses in games Paul has played, will be the team manager for Tuesday night’s game, alongside fellow veteran referees Tony Brothers and Eric Lewis.

Paul has an overall record of 2-15 in the playoff games he’s played and which Foster has umpired, and he has a controversial history with Foster, who is widely regarded as one of the league’s top umpires, but also has a very public story with the star point keep.

Paul has criticized Foster on several occasions, most notably after Phoenix’s Game 3 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.

“If I were a punter, 11 games in a row,” Paul said after that game. “Eleven games in a row.”

The Suns star has also publicly slammed Foster after calling Paul for a late game violation in Oklahoma City’s Game 7 loss to the Houston Rockets last year in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

The two Suns games Paul has been in and Foster has umpired in that playoffs are Phoenix’s two most unbalanced playoff losses – Milwaukee’s 120-100 win in Game 3 of this series and the 109 win. -95 of the Lakers in this Game 3 first round victory.

After Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Suns coach Monty Williams pointed out that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo made more free throws than the entire Suns team.

“I’m not going to publicly complain about fouls,” said Williams. “I’m just not going to do that. But you can watch. We had 16 free throws tonight. One person had 17.

“We have to learn from this. We have to beat the guys instead.”