In the NBA this season, teams will see same refs more often

Bulls coach Billy Donovan talks with referee Mark Ayotte during the first quarter of a game at Sacramento on Wednesday. [AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli]There are nine people who have been on the court to start four different games at Staples Center so far this season.

Only eight of them are players.

The other is referee Scott Foster.

There might be no better way to explain how and why the NBA has changed the travel rules for officials this year than Foster’s work schedule to this point. He was scheduled to work a game in Houston on Dec. 23, only to see the matchup called off when the Rockets didn’t have enough people available to play in accordance with the league’s health and safety protocols…