Scott Foster dumped Chris Paul out of the game with two back-to-back technical fouls during the Golden State Warriors’ 123-115 fall to the Phoenix Suns at the Footprint Center on Wednesday. The NBA veteran Paul exploded after a critical foul was called on him by Foster just 23 seconds before the halftime, which sent Kevin Durant to the free-throw line. Subsequently, after arguing about the call, Foster slammed Paul with a pair of technical fouls and tossed him out of the game. To add insult to injury, Warriors coach Steve Kerr picked up a technical foul soon after. This led to five free throws and the Suns rallied to a 16-point lead at halftime.
Paul directed some very pointed and colorful language at Foster, with Stephen Curry stepping in to separate the two. The Suns’ guard was ejected, finishing the game with six points and six assists in 17 minutes. This incident was the latest in the ongoing saga between Paul and Foster, who have been at odds on the court for years. Ironically, Paul joined the Warriors in the summer after playing for the Suns for three years, with Wednesday’s bout marking his first time back in Phoenix since leaving the franchise.
“I got a tech tonight. Scott Foster at his finest, you know what I mean?” Paul said after a game in 2018 with the Houston Rockets, via ESPN. “He just never fails.”
There’s no love lost between the two, and the issue persists. Though the Warriors made an effort to narrow the score in the fourth quarter, it proved too little, too late. The Suns secured an eight-point win, marking their fifth straight victory. The Warriors saw their seventh loss in eight games.
Durant led the Suns with 32 points and eight rebounds in the victory with Devin Booker adding 25 points and 10 assists. Klay Thompson paced the Warriors with 23 points, while point guard Stephen Curry added 16 points and six assists. The Suns will play the San Antonio Spurs, and the Warriors will host the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.
