Zach Zarba, James Williams, Tyler Ford and Gediminas Petraitis are the referees for Thunder vs. Spurs Game 6
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 20: Amen Thompson #1 of the Houston Rockets speaks with referee James Williams #60 during the first quarter of the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Toyota Center on January 20, 2026 in Houston, Texas. User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
The OKC Thunder has a chance to close out what has been a thrilling Western Conference Finals series against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6 on Thursday night, May 28.
Game 6 will be happening inside San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center, which is expected to be filled with Spurs fans once more.
Officiating has continuously been a hot topic in the series, with some fan bases believing that the officials have been leaning toward a certain squad in almost every game.
With that, here are the referees for Game 6 of Thunder-Spurs Western Conference Finals.
GettyVictor Wembanyama #1, Stephon Castle #5 and Devin Vassell #24 of the San Antonio Spurs react on the bench during the fourth quarter of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Five of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 26, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The officials for Game 6 are: Zach Zarba (crew chief), James Williams (referee), Tyler Ford (umpire), and Gediminas Petraitis (alternate).
Zach Zarba, James Williams, Tyler Ford and Gediminas Petraitis are the referees for Thunder vs. Spurs Game 6
Zarba has refereed over 1100 regular-season games and officiated over 100 playoff games since entering the league in 2004.
Williams, perhaps, is the most familiar name among the bunch. Williams has worked 56 playoff games, including four NBA Finals games.
Meanwhile, Ford has officiated 463 regular-season games and 31 playoff games.
These referees will be crucial in Game 6, where the Thunder has a chance to book a return ticket to the NBA Finals or the Spurs could force a Game 7 in Oklahoma City.
GettyJared McCain #3, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 and Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder look on from the bench during the fourth quarter after scoring a goal in Game Four of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center on May 24, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault knew the series would not be easy for the team, considering the Spurs’ 4-1 record against them in the regular season.
He also anticipated the emotional roller coaster the series could bring. After Game 5, he reflected on the highs and lows of the series and how the Thunder navigated through them.
“It’s a playoff series,” he said. “If you look at any playoff series that goes to six games, at least, there’s going to be some tough games. We had a tough game the other night. This team does a great job of just coming back in the next day in a very neutral way, taking whatever the lessons are, applying them forward and getting into the next opportunity.”
The Thunder controlled the tempo of Game 5, never allowing the Spurs to cruise to any momentum-shifting run.
They have to do it again in Game 6, where the rabid Spurs fans have shown that they can be disruptive in the Thunder’s rhythm.
GettyVictor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs is congratulated by Dylan Harper #2 and Stephon Castle #5 after scoring a basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter in Game Four of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center on May 24, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
On the other hand, the Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson admitted that the team played subpar in Game 5. He hopes to bring the best version of the Spurs in Game 6 in front of their home crowd.
“It just felt like it was a little bit of everything in terms of we did not put ourselves in position enough to be successful on each possession,” Johnson said. “And so, to beat a team of this caliber, in their building, with the stakes, we’ll need to be a lot better to give yourself a chance.”
The Spurs have up 40 points in the second quarter of Game 5, as the Thunder gained control to take over the game.
Tip-off for Game 6 will be at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time.
Rob Andrew Lo Rob Andrew Lo is a writer at Heavy Sports and is covering the NBA. He has covered local, collegiate, professional and international sports in various sites. He was the sports editor of The Varsitarian, the official student publication of University of Santo Tomas, and a sports, entertainment, and lifestyle writer for Rappler. A Journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, he has built his voice across both collegiate and international platforms, previously contributing NBA coverage to Fansided and Sportskeeda. More about Rob Andrew Lo
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