Referee Eric Lewis will not be working the NBA Finals as the league continues to review social media posts possibly involving the official.
Game 1 of the Finals between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets is Thursday night in Denver. Marc Davis, David Guthrie and Ed Malloy will be the referees for the game, with Tyler Ford as the alternate.
Lewis worked one game in last year’s final round and has worked six Finals games during his 19-season career as an NBA ref.
He gained notoriety this season when a foul was not called on Jayson Tatum against LeBron James in a game between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 28. James was not given the opportunity at possible game-winning free throws, and his emotional on-court reaction drew even more attention to the play.
The recent ongoing matter may involve a Twitter account that may or may not have been run by someone claiming to be Lewis’ brother.
The Heat advanced to the Finals with a Game 7 win against the Boston Celtics on Monday. Miami avoided becoming the first NBA team to lose a best-of-seven series after winning the first three games.
The Nuggets have not played since May 22 after sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers to win the Western Conference Finals. Following Game 4, the NBA admitted that an improper call was made leading to the game-winning basket by Nikola Jokic. Possession should have been given to the Lakers following a loose-ball scramble but instead was awarded to the Nuggets, and Jokic scored off the inbounds play.
The Nuggets have never played in the NBA Finals but are considered the favorites in this series. Led by Jokic and Jamal Murray, they are 8-0 at Ball Arena during these playoffs.
The Heat are playing in their seventh NBA Finals and first since 2020. Miami won NBA championships in 2006, 2012 and 2013. This season, Jimmy Butler has led a balanced scoring attack and was named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Their underdog run through this postseason has ESPN/ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy calling Erik Spoelstra the best head coach in Heat history.
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