The Miami Heat will have a chance to book a trip to the NBA Finals when they face the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
One of the referees who will reportedly officiate the game is Scott Foster.
It is unclear how the assignment will impact the Heat’s chances of winning. The 55-year-old is one of the most infamous officials in the league, possibly because controversy has followed him plenty of times when he has covered critical games.
The good news for Miami is that the team has an all-time record of 23-13 in postseason games that Foster has officiated. On the other hand, the Celtics are just 16-19 in such games.
Nevertheless, those statistics are unlikely to have any bearing on the result of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. In order to beat the Celtics again, the Heat likely understand that they’ll have to play with the same amount of urgency that they did in Game 6.
Down 3-2 entering Game 6, the Heat certainly showed that they’re not going down without a fight. All-Star Jimmy Butler led the way, scoring 47 points on 16-for-29 shooting. The night was historic for the 32-year-old, as Butler set the Heat record for most points in an elimination playoff game, surpassing Miami icons Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.
Starting point guard Kyle Lowry also broke out of a slump in Game 6, registering 18 points after combining for just three points in the previous two games.
A win over the Celtics on Sunday would let Miami advance to its second NBA Finals appearance in three years.