The Indiana Pacers are going into Game 5 with the series tied against the Oklahoma City Thunder, after leading into the fourth quarter of Game 4. The Thunder walked the Pacers down during the final minutes of the game, and some fans think that Scott Foster was the culprit for their team's downfall.

The one person who isn't buying Foster being the reason the Pacers lost is head coach Rick Carlisle, and he stood up for the referee during media availability.

“Rick Carlisle was asked about officiating and just went off on those who criticized Scott Foster after Game 4 of Pacers-Thunder. Rick called the ‘ridiculous scrutiny' of Foster after Game 4 ‘terrible, unfair, unjust, and stupid,'” Carlisle said via Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints on X, formerly Twitter.

Foster always seems to receive criticism during big games, and fans think that the way he calls the game is unfair at times. Carlisle's statement about Foster track, because right after Game 4, the head coach shared why he thought his team fell apart late in the game.

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“We got stagnant, their second shots were a big problem,” Carlise said. “When you are unable to rebound, it is hard to continue with the pace and tempo. But give them credit, they kept attacking, attacking, and their defense was great down the stretch.”

The Pacers have been playing good basketball this series, and Game 5 will be a big one for both teams. If the Pacers can continue to play at a high level and execute down the stretch, they'll give themselves a good chance to win. The Thunder will be at home, so it won't be easy, but the Pacers have already gone into Oklahoma City and stolen a game.

Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam will need to lead the Pacers, and the second unit will have to step up like they did similar to Game 3.