James Capers, Josh Tiven, and Sean Wright joined a rare group on Sunday as they were selected to officiate Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. This marks the first time each of them has worked a Game 7 in the Finals, making them the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th referees in league history to receive such a prestigious assignment.
“Being selected to officiate in the NBA Finals is the highest honor for an NBA referee,” said Byron Spruell, president of league operations, earlier this month when the league announced its 12-person Finals officiating crew.
Game 7 represents the pinnacle of that honor.
Notably absent from the Game 7 crew was veteran referee Scott Foster. Had he been selected, he would have joined a short list of officials with at least three Game 7 appearances in the Finals. That group includes Mendy Rudolph (six), Earl Strom (five), Sid Borgia (four), Dan Crawford (three), Joe Crawford (three), and Richie Powers (three).
Despite regular online criticism, Foster was praised by Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle after a loss in Game 4. “The things being said about Scott Foster and officiating in general are awful,” Carlisle said before Game 5. “I’ve known him for 30 years. He’s a great official and has done a great job in these playoffs. The scrutiny he’s faced is unfair and ridiculous.”
The NBA had 75 full-time officials this season, with 36 chosen for the first round of the playoffs. The pool shrinks with each round, based on evaluations by the league’s referee operations team.
Capers is making his 13th Finals appearance, Tiven his sixth, and Wright his second. All three previously officiated earlier games in the series — Capers in Indiana’s Game 3 win, Tiven and Wright in Oklahoma City’s Game 4 victory.
James Williams, who officiated Games 2 and 5, was named the alternate for Game 7. David Guthrie, who called Games 1 and 6, was assigned to the NBA replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault commented on his team’s approach to officiating ahead of the final game. “We can’t control the outcome or how referees call a game,” Daigneault said Saturday. “What we can control is our response and how we play. That’s where we put our focus.”
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