Celtics (3-0) at Mavericks (0-3) NBA Finals Game #4 6/14/24

[footey]

Officials tonight:

Scott Foster
David Guthrie
James Williams

Scott Foster was also part of that 2010 Game 7 debacle with Joe Crawford and Dan Crawford.

Scott Foster...the extender...the final boss. He was always getting the close out game.

Foster was ref in game 4 sweep vs BKLN in 2022 playoffs. Good omen!!

[celticinorlando]

Brian Robb
@BrianTRobb
?
2m
Joe Mazzulla says Kristaps Porzingis will test out his leg before the game with team trainers to see where he?s at.

[BringToughnessBack]

My guess is Luka gets barely a foul called on him tonight.

We need to bring it and bring it hard. First quarter full guns blazing and squeeze them hard so they raise a flag by the 4th quarter.

[jpotter33]

Nice article about Tatum

https://sports.yahoo.com/tatums-strength-lukas-weakness-deciding-162516187.html

This paragraph is great:

Jayson Tatum's critics have one peculiar hang-up: They're angry he isn't someone else.

Why isn't he as passionate as Jaylen Brown? Why isn't he as fiery as Anthony Edwards? Why isn't he as ruthless as Kobe Bryant?

But if the NBA Finals have proven anything, it's that maybe we should start celebrating Tatum for who he is: a chill, no-drama superstar in the mold of Tim Duncan, Joe Montana, and Derek Jeter who has the Celtics on the verge of Banner 18.

Yeesh, that was a Windy-level takedown of Luka?s antics!

[BringToughnessBack]

This day is going to take forever.

Yeah, drip drip.....

[BringToughnessBack]

Nice article about Tatum

https://sports.yahoo.com/tatums-strength-lukas-weakness-deciding-162516187.html

This paragraph is great:

Jayson Tatum's critics have one peculiar hang-up: They're angry he isn't someone else.

Why isn't he as passionate as Jaylen Brown? Why isn't he as fiery as Anthony Edwards? Why isn't he as ruthless as Kobe Bryant?

But if the NBA Finals have proven anything, it's that maybe we should start celebrating Tatum for who he is: a chill, no-drama superstar in the mold of Tim Duncan, Joe Montana, and Derek Jeter who has the Celtics on the verge of Banner 18.

This is great. Yeah, We have our own version of Duncan potentially! I love that. I said when we drafted him he would bring us 4 titles. I am hopeful it happens still. Together with Brown and parts, we should be competing for titles for a few years before that monster in San Antonio becomes unstoppable but even he will need a team behind him.

I could see us facing these Mavericks a few more times as well. They need to plug in a few holes though.

[SHAQATTACK]

Mavs for me are unlikable bunch , especially the coach and Irving ,  put this  Irving clown show away ?..pleazzzzz

[BringToughnessBack]

Mavs are vey unlikable bunch , especially the coach ,  put this  Irving clown show away .

Seeing that coach and Kyrie get swept would make this an epic night and end to the season! I hope it happens and we show a killer instinct that has been missing for far too long. We showed it in game 3. Now, the really tough one!

[BudweiserCeltic]

Looks like Scott Foster is up:
https://official.nba.com/referee-assignments/

Looks like I saw it late lol.

[liam]

Looks like Scott Foster is up:
https://official.nba.com/referee-assignments/

Looks like I saw it late lol.

I am oddly calm for this game...

[BudweiserCeltic]

Looks like Scott Foster is up:
https://official.nba.com/referee-assignments/

Looks like I saw it late lol.

I am oddly calm for this game...

I don't think refs like Luka all that much, so all the perceive grievances we may half with a ref vs the Celtics, I think won't matter much in that regard. Only if we buy in to the theory that the NBA will want to artificially extend the series. Otherwise, I'm ready for whatever may come.

[Yuckabuck33]

I TOLD you that Foster was the final boss. Beat him and we win. (Beating the ref means not getting upset when calls inevitably don't go your way.) 2022 team couldn't do it, 2010 team couldn't do it. This current team can.

[BringToughnessBack]

I TOLD you that Foster was the final boss. Beat him and we win. (Beating the ref means not getting upset when calls inevitably don't go your way.) 2022 team couldn't do it, 2010 team couldn't do it. This current team can.

so, this is the final test to show we have grown and not only have killer instinct, but are mature enough not cry about bad calls.

[BringToughnessBack]

I just looked at the clock again and swear someone froze time.

[FLCeltsFan]

Official Report

Crew Chief - Scott Foster

Foster has a home win/loss record of 48-28 this season.   In these playoffs he calls 51% of fouls on the road team and 49% on the home team. Boston is 9-1 in their last 10 games with Foster as an official, including the Game 1 win over the Cavs and Game 2 loss to the Pacers. Dallas is 5-5 in their last 10 with Foster, including 5/29 loss to the Minnesota and 5/9 win over OKC.  The Celtics are 73-60 all time with Foster while the Mavericks are 73-72 all time in games Foster calls.  Foster is known as the Fixer and The Extender and is known for trying to keep games competitive as well as trying to extend series to extra games. He was voted the worst ref in the league in a poll taken of league referees (just ahead of Tony Brothers, who is in the replay center). Just the name Scott Foster tends to cause fear and gnashing of teeth by every fan base in the league. He can be very good but he can also be very bad.  He has been good in the Celtics recent games.  He called Game 4 of the Celtics sweep of Brooklyn in 2022. 

Referee:  David Guthrie

Guthrie has a home win/loss record of 26-37. The Celtics are 8-3 in their last 10 games with Guthrie as a ref, including the 4/24 loss to Miami, the 5/15 win over the Cavs and the 5/21 win over the Pacers. The Mavericks are 6-4 in their last 10 games with Guthrie, including 5/13 loss to OKC and 4/21 loss to the Clippers. He calls 44% of fouls against the road team and 56% against the home team.  The Celtics are 79-45 all time with Guthrie on the court, while the Mavs are 55-29 all time with Guthrie.   In last year?s Finals, Guthrie was seen encouraging Michael Malone to challenge a call against the Nuggets which has caused some controversy.

Umpire - James Williams

Williams has a home win/loss record of 46-28. He calls 54% of fouls on the road team and 46% on the home team. The Celtics are 7-3 in their last 10 games with Williams on the crew including 5/11 win over the Cavs and 4/27 win over the Heat.  The Mavericks are 6-4 in their last 10 games with Williams, including 5/9 win over OKC and 5/1 win over the Clippers. The Celtics are 34-21 all time in game Williams calls and the Mavs are 24-30 all time with Williams.  Williams has faced criticism for bad calls during several games this season which added to a series of high-profile mistakes.