The New York Knicks host the Boston Celtics tonight in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. After dropping Game 3, the Knicks are aiming to regain momentum at Madison Square Garden. Tonight's Celtics vs. Knicks matchup also marks the return of official Scott Foster, who's been named crew chief. Depending on how far back you look, his return could help or hurt your Celtics vs. Knicks picks.
Scott Foster is set to return after suffering an injury while officiating a game in Miami back in March. Foster's return is significant because recent trends suggest his presence has aided the Knicks. During last year's postseason, the Knicks were 3-0 straight up and 3-0 against the spread in games officiated by Foster.
However, Foster has been nicknamed "The Extender," as teams trailing in playoff series have erased deficits when Foster was a member of the officiating crew. This trend favors the Celtics.
Foster most recently officiated Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals, in which the Celtics held a 3-0 series lead over the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks won Game 4 and extended the series, but ultimately dropped Game 5.
The trend with the largest sample size leans toward the Knicks. Foster has officiated 1,867 games in his career, per Basketball Reference. The home team has won 59.8 percent of those games. That win percentage creates an implied moneyline of -149. Meanwhile, the Knicks are sizable underdogs with a current price of +210 to win Game 4.
Each of these trends may impact the final score and the outcome of our top NBA player props for stars like Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson.
