Oklahoma City Thunder will face Indiana Pacers in a high-stakes NBA Finals Game 7. The roster of referees to officiate the crucial match. Notably, veteran referee Scott Foster has not been included in the list. Before the game begins, let’s look at the details.
The selected referees for Game 7
This season, the NBA employed 75 full-time referees including 36 chosen to officiate the initial playoff round. As the playoffs progressed, the referee roster was reduced for each subsequent round, with the league’s referee operations management team deciding which officials move forward.
The NBA selected James Capers, Josh Tiven, and Sean Wright to officiate the match Finals between the Thunder and Pacers. James Williams, on the other hand, is named as the alternate. Capers who has experience in officiating 17 Finals games, will act as crew chief. Tiven, in his sixth Finals, will officiate his 10th game. Wright, in his second Finals, will be officiating his third game. Interestingly, Williams, who officiated Games 2 and 5, is the only referee involved in three games this series.
Scott Foster’s exclusion from the Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers NBA Finals game
The exclusion of Scott Foster from the roster has raised eyebrows. He was limited to a single appearance in Game 4 on June 13, where he served as crew chief. The absence of his name from the referees’ list for Game 7 is surprising. He has officiated 18 series and 26 games, more than any of the 12 referees chosen for the series.
Foster was criticized by Pacers’ fans after their team lost the Game 4. He was defended by Indiana coach Rick Carlisle after the match.
“As far as officiating, I think it’s awful some of the things I have seen about the officiating, and Scott Foster in particular,” Carlisle had said before Game 5.
“I have known Scott Foster for 30 years. He is a great official. He has done a great job in these playoffs. We’ve had him a lot of times. The ridiculous scrutiny that is being thrown out there is terrible and unfair and unjust and stupid,” he added.
Looking ahead to Game 7
Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers will be geared up for the showdown. The officiating crew of the Finals will also be under the radar. While Capers, Tiven, and Wright face the challenge of managing a high-pressure game, Foster’s absence, on the other hand, will remain a talking point.
