On Tuesday night, the Phoenix Suns will host the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 2 of their western conference first round playoff series. The Suns won Game 1, despite the Pelicans hanging around for much of it. In the win, future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul dropped 30 points and 10 assists, dominating the game in every aspect. Paul and the Suns will be looking to do the same in Game 2. However, if history has anything to do with it, that's not likely to happen. But not because of anything involving players on the court, but the referee. NBA referee Scott Foster is slated to ref the game Tuesday night.

The Suns point guard has lost his last 13 playoff games that Foster has worked. That's truly incredible and it got us thinking, how did that come to be. Let's explore the history between Paul and Foster.

Chris Paul's 13-Game ‘Curse' vs. Referee Scott Foster, Explored

Believe it or not, this beef goes all the way back to CP3's third season in the NBA. He was as a member of the New Orleans Hornets the first six years of his career. In the 2007-2008 season, Paul led the Hornets to a 56-26 record, fourth best in the NBA. In the second round of the playoffs, the Hornets would play a grueling seven-game series against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs.

Referee Scott Foster worked that game. In that game, Paul finished with 19 points and a game-high 14 assists. However, in the closing minutes, he fouled out. Paul rarely fouls out of games and this was the first time in the playoffs in his career.

Shockingly, years later during the Rockets vs. Thunder Game 7 in the 2020 NBA playoffs, Foster while working that game involving Paul, decided to remind him of the game back in 2008.

That seems very odd for a referee to do. Of course, Paul and the Suns ended up losing that game and the series. But I digress.

Paul eventually left New Orleans to play with the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite turning the franchise around, they were never able to reach a western conference final. Paul was then traded to the Houston Rockets. That's where this beef became public knowledge.

Paul's Rockets would go on to lose all seven playoff games officiated by Foster. Now, what could have been seen as an anomaly suddenly took on some legs as a story.

After a regular season loss in 2018, Paul, who was called for a technical foul during the game, decided to say it was “Scott Foster at his finest,” in the postgame. It only got uglier from there.

The following season, Foster refereed another loss for the Rockets, which left not only CP3 but also James Harden infuriated. Harden claimed the NBA shouldn't allow Foster to work games anymore. Paul, on the other hand, essentially threw up his hands saying he didn't know what more he could do.

Chris Paul basically claims to being tricked by Foster

In the aforementioned Rockets vs. Thunder Game 7, Foster called Paul for a delay of game. During his postgame press conference, the current Suns point guard explained what happened. It appeared as though Foster misled him, and then called the delay of game, leaving Paul incredulous.

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“That s**t don't make no sense…that's crazy, he's just… that situation, the league knows, they gonna fine me, we all know. I said his name, you all know the history.”

Then last season, as a member of the Phoenix Suns, he found himself in yet another playoff game officiated by Foster. This time it was against the Los Angeles Lakers with the series tied 1-1. It's a pivotal game.

Paul and the Suns lost handily, with CP3 having his worst game of the postseason. He scored seven points on 3-for-8 shooting and posted a plus/minus of -20. After the game, Paul had apparently had enough. He put it bluntly. “If I was a betting man, 11 games in a row… 11 games in a row,” Paul said.

Of course, everyone by now likely knows that Foster was one of the officials in last year's NBA Finals. The Suns were facing elimination against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 and Foster was working. You know the rest. Giannis Antetokounmpo dominates the game while Paul found himself in foul trouble all game long.

It certainly is going to be interesting to see how long this streak continues. Hopefully for Paul and the Suns sake, it ends Tuesday night against the Pelicans.