OKLAHOMA CITY — Veteran NBA official Scott Foster was not chosen as one of many three referees for Sport 7 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder and Indiana Pacers on Sunday night time.
The referees who have been chosen to officiate the primary Finals Sport 7 since 2016 — and simply the ninth because the NBA-ABA merger in 1976 — have been James Capers, Josh Tiven and Sean Wright, with James Williams serving as an alternate.
Foster, who has labored extra Finals collection (18) and video games (26) than any of the 12 referees chosen to officiate the collection by the NBA, had been anticipated to be chosen to not solely officiate this sport but additionally prone to function its crew chief — the position he held for his lone look throughout these Finals in Sport 4 in Indiana on June 13.
After a number of on-line dialogue — notably amongst Pacers followers — in regards to the officiating in that Thunder win and about Foster particularly, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle went out of his option to defend Foster previous to Sport 5.
“I believe it is terrible a number of the issues I’ve seen in regards to the officiating and Scott Foster specifically,” Carlisle mentioned on June 15. “I’ve recognized Scott Foster for 30 years. He is a superb official. He has achieved an excellent job in these playoffs. We have had him a number of instances.
“The ridiculous scrutiny that’s being thrown out there’s horrible and unfair and unjust and silly.”
Foster has lengthy been thought-about one of many NBA’s prime officers, however he has additionally turn into a lightning rod for consideration due to the distinct nature with which he goes in regards to the job, and as numerous gamers, groups and fan bases have taken concern along with his work.
The opposite three referees who served as crew chiefs over the primary 4 video games of the collection — John Goble (Sport 1), Zach Zarba (Sport 2) and Capers (Sport 3) — all got a second sport, with Goble serving because the crew chief for Sport 5, Zarba for Sport 6 and Capers for Sport 7.
Alongside Capers, who will likely be working his seventeenth profession Finals sport, would be the two officers who did Sport 4 with Foster. Tiven is working in his sixth NBA Finals and will likely be officiating his tenth Finals sport, and Wright is in his second Finals and dealing his third sport.
Williams, Sunday’s alternate, served on the crews in Video games 2 and 5. He’s the one individual serving in a refereeing position thrice on this collection. Foster is the one referee to get one sport within the collection.