Help may be on the way for the Los Angeles Lakers (or so some on the Internet believe).
The NBA announced on Monday morning that a very noteworthy referee had drawn the assignment as crew chief for that evening’s Game 2 between the Denver Nuggets and the Lakers — Scott Foster. The 30-year officiating veteran Foster will be working the game alongside Curtis Blair and Sean Wright (with Eric Dalen as an alternate).
#NBAPlayoffs WEST 1ST ROUND – GAME 2
⏰ 10PM ET
🏀 @Lakers at @nuggets
🏀 #48 Foster, #74 Blair, #4 Wright
📺 @NBAonTNT #NBA #NBARefereesAlternate Official: Eric Dalen pic.twitter.com/kLwbLwTAjW
— NBA Referees (@OfficialNBARefs) April 22, 2024
Many users on X (formerly known as Twitter) had some great reactions to the news of Foster being in charge of Game 2. Take a look below.
Scott Foster landing in Denver this morning https://t.co/eLE0VRMiWS pic.twitter.com/J1GPTGHinw
— Lucas (system, player) (@LucasJHann) April 22, 2024
Scott Foster masterclass tonight LFG 🔥 pic.twitter.com/k6qu22Vpru
— Michael Porter Jumpshot (@NuggetWatcher) April 22, 2024
The NBA going full WWE and assigning Scott Foster to LAL/DEN tonight w/ the Lakers basically in a must win is a page right out of the David Stern playbook you almost have to respect it
— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) April 22, 2024
Calling in the big guns so LeBron doesnt get swept
— NikolaJokic15 (@Nikola15Jokic) April 22, 2024
Lakers +7.5
— Paul Evans (@paulevans_5) April 22, 2024
Foster did already draw an earlier crew chief assignment this postseason, working Game 1 between the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks on Saturday. But his reputation precedes him at this point. Foster is infamously nicknamed “The Extender” by fans for his supposed tendency to help teams who are trailing in a series, and there is a pretty clear negative trend for some clubs when it comes to Foster-reffed games.
Of course, no referee will be able to save the Lakers, currently down 0-1 to Denver, if they don’t handle their own business. But Foster was probably the best possible crew chief they could have drawn, especially since the Lakers seem to game-plan differently whenever Foster is officiating.
