NBA Finals Game 7 could see return of referee criticized by some fans
It is a strong likelihood that NBA referee Scott Foster will officiate Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday, June 22.
Foster, who is one of the NBA's top referees based on a multi-pronged ratings system that uses feedback from teams, called Game 4 in Indianapolis, and Pacers fans were unhappy with his whistle in the Thunder victory.
The NBA does not publicly reveal referees until 9 a.m. ET of game day, but given the rotation of the Finals refs, it makes sense that Foster would get the assignment since he has reffed just one 2025 Finals game and hasn't been in the rotation since Game 4.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle defended Foster at media availability before Game 5.
'I think it's awful some of the things I've seen about officiating, and Scott Foster in particular,' Carlisle said on Sunday, June 15. 'I've 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.'
PACERS COACH: Rick Carlisle defends referee Scott Foster after fan criticism
Before the Finals began, the NBA announced the 12 referees who were selected to officiate Finals games based on evaluations from playoff games this season.
Not every ref will get two games, but it won't be a surprise if Foster gets Game 7.
Foster is working his 18th Finals and has reffed 25 Finals games, including Game 7 in the 2010 Finals between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers and Game 7 of the 2013 Finals between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs.
James Capers, Tyler Ford, Ben Taylor, Josh Tiven and Sean Wright are the other officials who have had just one Finals games this season. A crew of Foster plus a combination of Capers, Tiven and Williams makes sense. Ford and Taylor called their first Finals games this month.
In Game 4, both teams combined to shoot 71 free throws, including 38 by the Thunder. On the NBA's Last Two-Minute Report, referee operations examined 17 plays and found they were all 'correct calls' or 'correct no-calls.'
Foster had reffed one previous Pacers playoff game this season.
Some fans have given Foster the nickname 'The Extender,' claiming that he has a history of making dubious calls during the playoffs that have extended series.
Longtime NBA writer Tom Haberstroh, however, referenced a study that says there's 'not much evidence at all' of Foster's ability to 'extend' the series.
How are NBA Finals referees selected?
According to the NBA, playoff referees are selected, 'based on their overall performance throughout the first three rounds of the NBA Playoffs 2025. Officials were evaluated by the NBA Referee Operations management team after each round to determine advancement in this year's postseason.'
Who is NBA referee Scott Foster?
Foster is considered one of the best referees in the league.
An official in his 30th season with the NBA, Foster entered this season having officiated 1,675 regular season games and 241 postseason games. Friday night was Foster's 25th time officiating an NBA Finals game. This is his 18th NBA Finals, overall..
Foster is also a noted pickleball player.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
32 minutes ago
- USA Today
Rafael Fiziev vs. Ignacio Bahamondes prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ABC 8
Rafael Fiziev and Ignacio Bahamondes meet Saturday in the co-main event of UFC on ABC 8 at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 5-1 UFC main cards, 2025: 57-44-1 Rafael Fiziev vs. Ignacio Bahamondes UFC Baku preview Fiziev (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) will look to end the roughest stretch of his pro career, as he comes in on a three-fight skid. While the results haven't been on his side, he's been extremely competitive, taking home Fight of the Night bonuses in two fights against Justin Gaethje. The other loss on this run was an unfortunate injury TKO loss against Mateusz Gamrot. Prior to those three fights, Fiziev racked up six straight wins, earning bonuses in five of them. ... Bahamondes (17-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) has been no stranger to extra checks on fight night. He comes in opposite of Fiziev, running hot on a three-fight winning streak, all by first-round finish. Not only did Bahamondes make quick work of Christo Giagos, Manuel Torres and Jalin Turner, he also earned Performance of the Night bonuses for each finish. Rafael Fiziev vs. Ignacio Bahamondes UFC Baku expert pick, prediction The co-main event on ABC features a striker's delight at lightweight between Rafael Fiziev and Ignacio Bahamondes. Although this seems like a tough spot for Fiziev, given that he's technically coming off three losses, his recent resume has more to it than meets the eye. Aside from one of his losses coming by injury, Fiziev had a quiet argument for winning his first encounter with Justin Gaethje before being booked for a senseless rematch on short notice with "The Highlight" after an extended layoff due to said injury. To Fiziev's credit, he showed noted efforts of improvement in his last fight with Gaethje from both pacing and grappling perspectives – which could come in handy against Bahamondes. I've been a big fan of Bahamondes and his improvements when it comes to both counterstriking and counter-grappling. That said, I'm not sure he can count on commanding the grappling exchanges with a national champion in combat sambo like Fiziev. I also suspect that Fiziev's speed, bodywork and ability to counter in combination will also provide problems for Bahamondes from a stylistic perspective. It's a dangerous fight for Fiziev, but I'll officially side with him to either stop Bahamondes with a body kick or beat him on the scorecards. Rafael Fiziev vs. Ignacio Bahamondes UFC Baku odds Despite the oddsmakers initially opening the Azerbaijan representative as the favorite, public money has flipped the betting line, listing Bahamondes -124 and Fiziev +102 via FanDuel. Rafael Fiziev vs. Ignacio Bahamondes UFC Baku start time, how to watch As the co-main event, Fiziev and Bahamondes are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 5:10 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+.
USA Today
42 minutes ago
- USA Today
Brooklyn Nets jersey history No. 20 - Randy Mahaffey (1968-69)
The Brooklyn Nets have 52 jersey numbers worn by over 600 different players over the course of their history since the franchise was founded in 1967 as a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA), when the team was known as the "New Jersey Americans". Since then, that league has been absorbed by the NBA with the team that would later become the New York Nets and New Jersey Nets before settling on the name by which they are known today, bringing their rich player and jersey history with them to the league of today. To commemorate the players who played for the Nets over the decades wearing those 52 different jersey numbers, Nets Wire is covering the entire history of the franchise's jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. The 21st of those 52 different numbers is jersey No. 20, which has has had a total of 28 players wear the number in the history of the team. The second of those players wearing No. 20 played in the (then) New York (now, Brooklyn) Nets era, forward alum Randy Mahaffey. After ending his college career at Clemson, Mahaffey was picked up with the 16th overall selection of the 1967 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. The LaGrange, Georgia native would play parts of the first two seasons of his pro career with the ABA's (defunct) Kentucky Colonels instead, however, coming to an end when he was dealt to New York in 1968. His stay with the team would span just 48 games before he would be dealt again, this time to the (also defunct) Carolina Cougars in 1969. During his time suiting up for the Nets, Mahaffey wore only jersey No. 20 and put up 13.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
USA Today
42 minutes ago
- USA Today
Golden State Warriors jersey history - No. 15 - Phil Chenier (1981)
The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history. Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA -- a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego. To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the 15th of 27 players who wore the No. 15 jersey for the Warriors. That player would be Golden State guard alum Phil Chenier. After ending his college career at Cal, Chenier was picked up with the fourth overall selection of 1971 Supplemental Hardship draft by the (then) Baltimore Bullets (now, Washington Wizards). The Berkeley, California native would play the first nine seasons of his pro career with the Bullets, and also played for Indiana Pacers before signing with the Golden State Warriors for the last stop of his NBA career in 1981, just nine games. During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Chenier wore only jersey No. 15 and put up 3.2 points per game. All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
