The New York Knicks are making sure to cover their bases ahead of their first-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Playoffs.
With Game 1 of the series tipping off on Saturday, the usual game notes were distributed to the media, but with a twist. Typically chock full of information like matchup statistics and player history, the Knicks decided to add a section on referee tendencies.
A page titled Pregame Referee Breakdown included information on all three officials for Game 1: Scott Foster, Brian Forte and Sean Corbin.
Foster, a 30-year veteran in the NBA reffing ranks, will be crew chief for the contest on Saturday and appears to have the quickest trigger with a whistle according to the Knicks media notes. He ranks in the 99th percentile when it comes to making foul calls and offensive fouls, according to the data presented by New York.
It's unclear if the information is based on an internal study done by the Knicks or based on statistics provided by the league, but it remains a strange decision to include them publicly, something not done before.
Fans of both teams will now be well equipped for their takes post-game on social media if they feel slighted by any of the officiating in Game 1.
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