Chris Paul Has Lost 13 Straight Playoff Games With Scott Foster

Editors’ note, Apr. 18, 2023 at 12:05 p.m. ET: An earlier version of this story misstated that Chris Paul had lost 14 straight playoff games when playing in a game refereed by Scott Foster. In fact, Paul has lost 13 consecutive games when he has played and Foster has been a part of the officiating crew.

It’s rare for a player to endure a losing streak against an official, but that is what is happening with Chris Paul.

Scott Foster has been an NBA referee for 25 years, and Paul has been in the NBA for 17 himself. While they have been in the league, these two have had a contentious relationship when on the court together.

As a result, Foster has possibly become Paul’s biggest rival in the league. With the Suns’s Game 2 loss vs. Pelicans, Paul has now lost 13 straight games when playing a a game refereed by Foster.

This strange history was a major deal during last season’s playoffs. Foster worked Game 3 of the Finals when Paul’s Suns were up 2–0, and Game 6 when Phoenix was down 3-2 on the verge of elimination.

The Suns had a rough night in Game 2 on Tuesday with Devin Booker injuring his hamstring and failing to cool off a hot Pelicans squad after his exit. But while it is unclear when Booker will return, the Suns’s biggest break might be that Foster is unlikely to referee Game 3 on Friday.