The 2025 NBA Finals have arrived and the matchup is an enticing one, pitting the best team record-wise all season in the Oklahoma City Thunder, led by 2024-25 MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, against the scrappy Indiana Pacers, headlined by sharpshooting, do-it-all point guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Aside from the teams and the players, one of the storylines of these NBA Finals will inevitably be the officiating crew, given both the stakes of the contests ahead, as well as the skillful ability of Gilgeous-Alexander to draw fouls, a key part of his game that could help swing the series in either direction, depending upon the whistle he receives.
As such, the referees will play a big role in the series. Here's a look at the full list of officials for the NBA Finals. For a useful gameday reference with Game 1 of the NBA Finals set to tip off on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET, here are the referee assignments for the series' first game.
Who are the referees for Game 1 of the NBA Finals?
As you can see, this is an experienced crew. Goble, Davis and Guthrie have officiated a combined 42 NBA Finals games. Additionally, Kevin Scott, the alternate for Thursday's Game 1, is in his 14th season and has officiated two NBA Finals contests in his career. Josh Tiven, in his 15th season, will man the replay center.
What are the Thunder and Pacers' records in games officiated by crew chief John Goble?
The Thunder have an all-time record of 45-39 in games officiated by Goble, while the Pacers are 39-36.
What sort of impact could this officiating crew have on Game 1 of the NBA Finals?
Here are some tendencies for each official, taken from data of games they've called during the 2024-25 season. Stats are a combined total for both teams and are courtesy of Basketball Reference.
John Goble
In the 2024-25 regular season, home teams averaged 2.4 more free throw attempts, 0.8 fewer personal fouls and 0.5 more points per game compared to visiting teams in games officiated by Goble.
Marc Davis
In the 2024-25 regular season, home teams averaged 1.9 fewer free throw attempts, 1.3 more personal fouls and 0.1 fewer points per game compared to visiting teams in games officiated by Davis.
David Guthrie
In the 2024-25 regular season, home teams averaged 2.3 more free throw attempts, 2.0 fewer personal fouls, and 0.3 more points per game compared to visiting teams in games officiated by Guthrie.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Referees for NBA Finals Game 1 .
