NBA Officials Face Scrutiny After Pacers Handed Setback in Finals Game 7 Amid Tyrese Haliburton Exit

Back to the boiling pot that is NBA officiating—because let’s face it, pointing fingers at Scott Foster was never going to fix it all. As the 2025 NBA Finals charge into the second half with OKC holding a slim 56-51 lead over Indiana, the hardwood has turned into a battlefield. Trash talk is flying, tempers are erupting, and the chaos? Almost feels like a soccer derby. Caught in the middle of the mayhem? Bennedict Mathurin, trying to survive the storm amidst the Tyrese Haliburton heartbreak.

Was it a foul? Was it a real foul? Hold on, the referees called a foul on a potential flop by Luguentz Dort. Indeed, there was a slight chest bump on Mathurin’s end, but was it a hard one? Doubtful. Therefore, NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor didn’t mince words on his X handle and called out the referee’s decision.

“That shouldn’t be a foul on Mathurin lol. How’s a ref falling for a Dort flop in a Game 7? Come on now.”

 

That shouldn’t be a foul on Mathurin lol. How’s a ref falling for a Dort flop in a Game 7? Come on now.

— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) June 23, 2025

Well, if you looked closely, the Pacers’ HC Rick Carlisle wasn’t happy either. How could he be? The decision barely made any sense. After Tyrese Haliburton‘s Game 7-ending calf injury, Indiana cannot simply accept such fumbles from the game official. Moreover, this has rained down wrath on the officials as fans erupted in unison against the odd foul call.

This is a developing story…

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