Why is Scott Foster nicknamed ‘The Extender’ by NBA fans? Looking at controversies he has faced

Scott Foster, also known as "The Extender," will officiate Game 2 between the Phoenix Suns and the LA Clippers. Suns fans are not too happy about this since their point guard Chris Paul does not have a great record in games refereed by Foster.

Paul has lost the last 13 games Foster has officiated, which is why many Suns fans are pessimistic about their chances in the second game of the series. Furthermore, Paul has a 2-17 record when Foster officiates.

A few other basketball stars have complained about the NBA referee, including James Harden and Paul Pierce. Fans have even signed a petition to remove the official from the league.

Foster is nicknamed "The Extender" due to the fact that many of the series he has officiated have gone to six or seven games. Speculation among fans is that the NBA lets Foster officiate whenever they need the series to go the distance.

Foster is known for extending the series in the NBA playoffs (Image via Getty Images)

Back in the 2022 Eastern Conference semifinals, the Milwaukee Bucks had a 3-2 lead over the Boston Celtics. Scott Foster officiated Game 6 and the Celtics ended up winning the game and the series.

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A similar situation happened just a few weeks later. Foster was assigned to officiate Game 4 between the Celtics and the Miami Heat. The Heat had a 2-1 lead in the series, but ended up losing Game 4.

Again, the series went to seven games and Boston ended up winning.

Foster's games have been quite controversial (Image via Getty Images)

Another great example is the 2018 Western Conference finals between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets. The controversial NBA referee officiated games 1 and 7 of the series, and both were won by the Warriors.

The Rockets even filed a formal complaint to the NBA about the last game. It's also important to note that Chris Paul was with the Rockets at the time.

Foster also has ties to Tim Donaghy, a disgraced NBA referee. Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison for a betting scandal he made more than $300,000 from.

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Between October 2006 and April 2007, Scott "The Extender" Foster received 134 phone calls from Donaghy.

Donaghy called Foster more than any other referee, and he did it while betting on NBA games.