NBA Ref Scott Foster Bloodied After Taking Hit In Western Conference Finals

Blood was shed during Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Thursday ... but we're not talking about any Timberwolves or Thunder players -- it was referee Scott Foster who was left worse for wear!!

The accident happened just over a minute into the contest -- during a jump ball between Lu Dort and Julius Randle. The former's arm came down and hit Foster right in the nose ... and he started oozing.

The longtime official -- who also appeared to take a bit of a kick to the gut from Randle -- rushed over to the scorers booth for a towel ... and got his nostril plugged up.

Folks on social media were quick to note future Hall of Famer Chris Paul was in the Paycom Center crowd to witness the moment with all the OKC fans ... and joked he must've LOVED what he saw -- as he's had a longstanding beef with the official over the course of his career.

After a brief delay, the action continued ... and the Thunder defended home court in a 118-103 effort to go up 2-0 in the series.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander -- who recently won the league's MVP honors -- spoke about Paul being in the building for the night ... joking he was at first concerned over who was sitting with his wife before opening up on the impact CP3's had on his career.