All James Harden wants is a fair chance.
After getting a no-call on his late three-point attempt in game one, that lead to the Rockets game one loss, the reigning NBA’s MVP was not happy.
He won’t be any more happy when game two tips off tonight on the road against Golden State.
James Harden’s arch nemesis (not the Warriors) Scott Foster will be refereeing game two.
Harden, Chris Paul, the Rockets, all have beef with Scott Foster.
Harden has fouled out a total of 4 times in the last three seasons, 3 of those games were officiated by Scott Foster.
The last six playoff games that the Rockets have played when Foster was an official, they’ve lost all of them.
That includes last season’s game 7 loss to the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
On top of all that Foster hasn’t officiated a Rockets game since February, when Harden stated that he didn’t want Foster officiating anymore Rockets games.
In that February game, Harden fouled out in a loss to the Lakers, and afterwards called Foster,
“…rude and arrogant.”
To be fair, officials are assigned the first two games before the series begins.
So the fact that Foster just happens to be game two’s ref after game one’s debacle, is pure coincidence.
Maybe…
Things were already difficult for the Rockets going up against the Warriors being down 0-1.
Now with their long-standing feud with Foster taking center stage in game two, things could get even more dicey.
Take a look at social media’s reaction to Foster being assigned to ref game two of Rockets/Warriors.