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.

Very frustrated. One gentleman approached me while I was still sitting in a media area, and asked if I was writing about the game, and if so did I know how few times Tyrese Haliburton had been to the free throw line (once).

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has stuck up for what he believes in during these NBA Finals — particularly the people he believes in, Doris Burke and Scott Foster.