“I called this crew average. Fifty fouls later, Memphis walked out of Utah's building with the win, and I'm the one who looks like a clown. Average, my a**. I'll take the L and yell about it louder next time.”
MONTY, THE MORNING AFTER
HOW THE WHISTLE WENT
Mon, Oct 26, 2026 · Final
MEM @ UTA Memphis at Utah
THE CREWScott Foster(52)chief·Karl Lane(38)·Nate Cearley(new)
MEM 110UTA 105
WHISTLE VOLUME
48.9
fouls per 100 possessions · +3.8 vs average
879th busiest of 13,639 games since 2015
OUR CREW READ
Missed
Read as average before tip-off; it came in +3.8 fouls per 100 vs average.
We print the misses as loud as the hits.
Fouls by quarter
MEM UTA
Expected vs actual
| Fouls / 100 | Free throws / 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| MEM | 21.4 → 28.5 | 24.5 → 21.6 |
| UTA | 21.0 → 20.4 | 24.7 → 24.3 |
Expected before tip-off → what happened. Free throws: MEM 22, UTA 25.
Free throws: actual vs expected
Bar = free throws taken; tick = expected before tip-off.
The closer
11 Q4 fouls vs 12.7 a quarter before
Steady to the end
10 of the Q4 fouls came with the game within 10 points, 1 with it wider.
Foul-trouble watch: Keyonte George (UTA)
4 fouls · 26 pts · 33 min
Key whistles
- Q1 5:44 Cedric Coward (MEM), offensive foul: 2nd foul in Q1
- Q2 2:03 Keyonte George (UTA), offensive foul: 3rd foul before half
- Q3 10:10 Keyonte George (UTA), away from play foul: 4th foul in Q3
Picked by rule (foul trouble, close finish), not graded right or wrong.
BEFORE TIP-OFF
CREW READ
PENDING
The league posts referee assignments about 9 a.m. ET on game day. The crew read lands here as soon as it does.
What this crew calls
vs league, 1.00× = average
Light on technical fouls: 0.91× the league rate.
- Offensive fouls and charges1.04×
- Shooting fouls1.00×
- Loose-ball fouls1.00×
- Take fouls0.98×
- Technical fouls0.91×
- Traveling1.04×
Per game in this crew's games since 2022-23, against league average; each official shrunk toward league until the games pile up. Every call counts for all three officials.
The free-throw battle
how busy each end should be
Both ends look alike: no free-throw edge either way.
When MEM have the ballLeans busy
quietleague middlebusy
MEM draw fouls: 9th fewest; get to the line: 8th fewest. UTA commit fouls: 6th most; give up free throws: 3rd most. Expected free throws for MEM: 24.9.
When UTA have the ballLeans busy
quietleague middlebusy
UTA draw fouls: mid-pack; get to the line: 7th most. MEM commit fouls: mid-pack; give up free throws: mid-pack. Expected free throws for UTA: 25.4.
League ranks this season, out of 30.
Where they stand
MEM UTA
Overall
When they defend
When they attack
League rank out of 30 this season, 1st = best for the team: most points scored, fewest allowed, fewest fouls and free throws given up, most fouls drawn and trips to the line. The right-hand number is how many places the leader is ahead.
Pace
possessions per 48 minutes
97slower · faster107
- MEM 104.5 · 8th fastest
- UTA 105.3 · 3rd fastest
- Expected tonight 104.9
- Actual 102.3 (−2.6 vs expected)
Crew’s pace lean: neutral (30th percentile of crews on the slate). Crews do nudge pace, but only by about 0.7 possessions between the fastest and slowest tenth; the teams decide almost all of it.
What to expect
vs league avg
MEM
24.9
free throws
UTA
25.4
free throws
Who’s out
MEM
Nobody listed
UTA
- Jaxson Hayes OUT
Foul-trouble watch, by team
2 fouls in Q1 or 3 by half
MEM
- Jaylen WellsHigh 2.2× typical
- Jerami GrantTypical 1.3× typical
- Ty JeromeTypical 0.8× typical
Facing a team that draws fouls about league average.
UTA
- Jaren Jackson Jr.Very high 3.3× typical
- Keyonte GeorgeHigh 1.9× typical
- Darryn PetersonHigh 1.9× typical
Facing a team that draws fouls 9th fewest in the league.
Early foul trouble usually costs a player about 2 minutes. Bands compare with every regular on the nights we cover.
The lines
DraftKings · open → close
| Total | 237.5 → 237.5 |
|---|---|
| Spread | UTA -1.5 → +1.5 |
| Moneyline | MEM -105 → -112 · UTA -115 → -108 |
For information only. Prices move; check your book. 19+ (21+ in most of the US).
The crew read in detail: fouls, free throws and points vs the line
Fouls+0.8 per 100 poss not clear
Personal fouls by both teams per 100 possessions, against the league average, after allowing for the two teams.
Not clearly different from average: 80% likely between ±0.0 and +1.6 per 100 poss.
n = 8 games (fewest on the crew). Each dot is one in twenty likely outcomes.
Free throws+0.3 per 100 poss not clear
Free-throw attempts by both teams per 100 possessions, against the league average.
Not clearly different from average: 80% likely between −0.7 and +1.2 per 100 poss.
n = 8 games (fewest on the crew). Each dot is one in twenty likely outcomes.
Points vs the line+0.2 points not clear
Final points minus the closing total in this crew's games. Near zero means the market already prices the crew.
Not clearly different from average: 80% likely between −0.6 and +1.1 points.
n = 8 games (fewest on the crew). Each dot is one in twenty likely outcomes.
Download the post-game card for sharing.
Counts and rates, not verdicts. One game is noise; we score the crew read by season: our track record.