NBA Finals Game 5 officiating crew announced: Breaking down how it favors Knicks & Spurs

NBA Finals Game 5 officiating crew announced: Breaking down how it favors Knicks & Spurs originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The 2026 NBA Finals head back to San Antonio on Saturday evening, as the Spurs host the Knicks for Game 5.

The Knicks will have a chance to clinch the title, and the officials have been revealed for the anticipated game.

Which refs are officiating Game 5 of the NBA Finals?

According to NBA.com, Game 5 will be officiated by Scott Foster, James Capers and Tyler Ford

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These are the following positions for each referee:

• Scott Foster – Crew Chief
• James Capers – Referee
• Tyler Ford – Umpire
• Mitchell Ervin – Alternate

Here are some stats from games each ref has been a part of this postseason.

Referee# of games officiatedHome team win %Fouls per gameFoul % called on road teamFoul % called on home teamScott Foster (Crew Chief)120.75046.10.5080.492James Capers (Crew Chief)90.55645.00.5040.496James Capers (Crew)30.66750.70.5330.467Tyler Ford (Crew)110.45544.70.4880.513

The stats lean slightly in favor of the home team, which is the Spurs in Game 5.

Fans joke that Scott Foster has the nickname ‘The Extender’, so fans might expect to see a game called in the Spurs’ favor, whether calls are really going their way or not.

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