Indiana coach Rick Carlisle offered an impassioned and somewhat unprompted defense of referee Scott Foster on Sunday, evidently aware of the mountains of online criticism that came after Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Over the past two years, the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers have reignited their rivalry from the early 1990s. The two teams have faced in the playoffs in consecutive years, with Indiana besting the Knicks in both the 2024 and 2025 Playoffs.

The former Mavericks owner wanted the superstar point guard for the Mavericks, but his former coach stole him away.