It was the most ticky-tac of ticky-tac fouls. With the Celtics and Nets playing down to the wire Monday night, the human series extender Scott Foster was on the floor when Jayson Tatum was whistled for an invisible offensive foul. Just like that, the best player of the series fouled out, leaving the Celtics undermanned as they tried to starve off the Nets and advance to the semifinals.
But the Nets couldn't get the job done, even with the game being officiated with the same objectivity as a WWE match. The Nets took seven more free throws than the Celtics and Tatum was hounded with foul trouble all night. Yet, Boston prevailed.
The Nets should be embarrassed.
It's pathetic that a supposed super team with two of the best players ever needed dramatic interference from the NBA's shadiest referee to even have a chance at winning Game 4 and avoid getting swept. The Celtics opened up a 15-point lead at the end of the third quarter, and it looked like Brooklyn was toast. Al Horford nailed a three-pointer following a timeout and Derrick White drove to the hoop for an easy layup to give Boston its seemingly insurmountable late-game lead.
But then Foster got heavily involved. Tatum was forced to the bench with 8:17 remaining in the fourth quarter after getting called for a charge, and pulverizing the Nets with a slam dunk and turn-around 25-foot jumper over the outstretched arms of Kevin Durant. Tatum's untimely absence allowed the Nets to crawl back within five, and the Nets scored five unanswered following his ridiculous ejection, bringing them within one.
Unfortunately, Foster also couldn't play defense for the Nets, who got burned all night. Jaylen Brown drove inside for a bucket to make it 111-108 and the Celtics took control for good when Horford tipped in a Marcus Smart miss with 13.7 seconds left.
The Celtics beat two future Hall of Famers and a horribly biased referee. In the previous 21 layoff games Foster officiated, the team behind in the series was 19-2.
Now that record stands at 19-3.
Foster teed up the game for Brooklyn. Forward Nic Claxton went to the line 11 times, but only made one foul shot. Even with the Celtics handicapped defensively, Irving was invisible for most of the night. Foster may be able to control the fouls, but he can't control effort.
As time was winding down, Celtics fans at Barclays Center were rightfully chanting "bulls—!, bulls—!" It was a complete mockery of a playoff game.
But in the end, the joke was on the Nets. What a shameful effort.
