2023 NBA Playoffs

NBA announces 36 officials selected for 2023 NBA playoffs

The playoff roster features 28 referees who have 10 or more years of NBA experience.

Scott Foster (left) and Tony Brothers have officiated a combined 400 playoff games entering the 2023 playoffs.

NEW YORK — The NBA today announced the list of 36 officials who have earned spots to work the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel. The same group also comprises the officiating staff available for the AT&T NBA Play-In Tournament.

“Qualifying for the postseason is the goal of NBA coaches and players, and the same is true for our NBA officials,” said Byron Spruell, NBA President, League Operations. “Congratulations to this group of 36 officials on their on-court achievements and selection to work the 2023 NBA Playoffs.”

Below is the list of officials for the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel:

Ray Acosta, Brent Barnaky, Curtis Blair, Tony Brothers, Nick Buchert, Sean Corbin, Kevin Cutler, Eric Dalen, Marc Davis, JB DeRosa, Mitchell Ervin, Tyler Ford, Brian Forte, Scott Foster, Pat Fraher, Jacyn Goble, John Goble, David Guthrie, Bill Kennedy, Courtney Kirkland, Karl Lane, Eric Lewis, Mark Lindsay, Tre Maddox, Ed Malloy, Rodney Mott, Gediminas Petraitis, Kevin Scott, Aaron Smith, Michael Smith, Ben Taylor, Josh Tiven, Justin Van Duyne, James Williams, Sean Wright and Zach Zarba.

Ray Acosta and Aaron Smith are making their debut as members of the playoff staff.

The following officials are alternates for the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel:

Lauren Holtkamp, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Natalie Sago, Dedric Taylor and Scott Twardoski.

The officials who comprise the 2023 playoff roster average 16 years of NBA experience, with 28 having 10 or more years of experience. Twenty-two officials have five or more years of playoff experience.

Referees assigned to first-round games include 16 with 50 or more playoff games worked and seven with 100 or more playoff games officiated: Scott Foster (226), Tony Brothers (174), Marc Davis (174), Zach Zarba (133), Ed Malloy (128), Bill Kennedy (127) and John Goble (113).

Playoff officials are selected by the NBA Referee Operations management team based on three specific criteria assessed throughout the season: NBA Referee Operations graded rankings, play-calling accuracy and team rankings. Officials will be evaluated after each round of the playoffs to determine who will advance in the 2023 postseason.

The AT&T NBA Play-In Tournament begins tonight with a TNT doubleheader, featuring Atlanta at Miami and Minnesota at the Los Angeles Lakers. The first round of the NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel tips off Saturday, April 15. Individual game assignments for referees are posted at NBA.com/official at approximately 9 a.m. ET each game day.

Latest