The NBA considers referee Scott Foster to be one of the league’s best officials. However, Foster and Suns point guard Chris Paul have unceremonious history dating back to 2014.
Up until Tuesday night, Paul had lost 13 consecutive playoff games officiated by Foster. The curse was finally broken in Phoenix’s 123–109 win over the Clippers in Game 2 of the first-round series.
Paul was asked about breaking the curse in the postgame press conference and had a classic response.
“I ain’t notice,” Paul said sarcastically, trying not to crack a smile. “We all about minimizing distractions during this run so, you know, that is what it is. … The league know what it is, so can’t control it. Haven’t been able to control other ones so it ain’t gonna change now, so it’s a game within a game.”
Paul finished with 16 points, eight assists and four rebounds on 8-of-14 shooting from the floor. He played especially well in the fourth quarter, where he helped the Suns close the game out with a series of impactful plays in the final three minutes.
Paul started by hitting a mid-range jumper, then stole the ball from Clippers guard Russell Westbrook. He then had an assist on a DeAndre Ayton bucket before hitting another mid-range jumper to close things out.
The curse has been broken, and Paul played a key role in making sure the Suns evened up the series at one game a piece.
