"We got the extender" - Knicks fans rejoice as Scott Foster takes on officiating duties for all-important Game 3

The New York Knicks entered the Eastern Conference finals as favorites against the Indiana Pacers. Fast forward to today, and they're down 0-2.

The Knicks blew a 17-point lead late in a thrilling Game 1 that included a buzzer-beating game-tying shot to force overtime. Then, they ran out of gas down the stretch again to lose Game 2.

Needless to say, that's not an ideal setting, especially now that they will have to hit the road for Games 3 and 4.

Notably, that's also why some fans celebrated that the NBA designated infamous referee Scott Foster to officiate Game 3.

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For those who don't know, fans usually refer to Foster as 'The Extender,' as he's usually the official when a team is on the verge of elimination and needs to win at least one game.

Here are the best reactions to this piece of news.

Knicks fans cracked jokes about the situation.

Stephen A. Smith rips Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau

The Knicks now have their backs against the wall, and the fact that they were in a position to win both games is somewhat more worrisome.

That's why ESPN pundit and diehard Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith didn't hold back in his criticism of coach Tom Thibodeau. He called him out for benching Karl-Anthony Towns down the stretch.

“I threw up last night, I was so sick and disgusted with what I saw. You cannot bench Karl-Anthony Towns for seven minutes in the fourth quarter. You can’t just do that,” he said.

Smith added:

“I point the finger directly at him. His arms just sitting there, folded, looking completely helpless. Well, he was not helpless. At the end of the day, you got a situation where Indiana was the underdog, still came back and won. What he did was egregious, I thought it was a d**n shame.”

Thibodeau has often drawn backlash and criticism for his short rotations in the playoffs, as they often lead his team to exhaustion in clutch time, especially at this point in the postseason.

The Pacers play a long rotation, and the Knicks will have a tough time keeping up with their energy unless they start giving their second unit a longer leash.

About the author

Ernesto Cova is a journalist at Sportskeeda with a PhD in Sports Psychology. His education helped him develop a clearer understanding of the sports world as a whole, including basketball. Ernesto has over eight years of experience in the field, working for Fadeaway World, The Inquisitr, NBA Blast, The Cold Wire and Bolavip, among others.

His favorite team is the Chicago Bulls because of the Michael Jordan era. Jordan is Ernesto's all-time favorite, as he changed the game forever. Ernesto's second favorite was Kobe Bryant because he embodied that same competitive fire and Ernesto watched him play throughout his entire career. Nowadays, Ernesto really likes Stephen Curry, who he believes to be the most influential player of the past 15 years or so.

Ernesto's favorite basketball moment was when Venezuela -- his country -- took down Canada to take home the 2015 FIBA Americas Cup.

When not watching or writing about basketball, Ernesto likes to read and is interested in photography.

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Edited by Ribin Peter