Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle is having none of it. He spent a part of his Sunday NBA Finals media availability defending Foster. He had a similar moment earlier in the championship series when ESPN's Doris Burke was heavily criticized for her commentary.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The drive between the little upstate New York towns of Lisbon and Ogdensburg, by Rick Carlisle’s recollection, would take about eight minutes. In that part of the world, in the St. Lawrence valley just a few miles south of Canada, that’s like going next door.

Charles Barkley joked about the Knicks' coaching search strategy by making a direct reference to the Pacers' head coach Rick Carlisle.

Tyrese Haliburton credits Rick Carlisle as a 'basketball savant' who elevated his game as the Pacers lead the Thunder 2-1 in the NBA Finals.