Nuggets to have Marc Davis as crew chief for must-win Game 6

The Denver Nuggets are in must-win most on Thursday night facing a 3-2 deficit, and will have to play through a tough whistle as Marc Davis will be on the call for the matchup

BY TRENT FINNEGAN

May 15, 2025, 12:27 PM

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Thursday night’s Game 6 is a must-win for the Denver Nuggets as they face elimination against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals. After taking a 2-1 lead earlier in the series, Denver has dropped the last two games thanks to poor shooting performances, and now finds themselves with their backs against the wall at Ball Arena.

In the NBA, especially come playoff time, the officials are always a hot topic of discussion as the physicality ramps up as the postseason goes on. It was the talk of the town when it was announced that infamous official Scott Foster would be the crew chief for Game 2, a game that the Nuggets lost by 43 points, and it has been the talk again leading up to Thursday’s game, as the Nuggets will have a familiar face on the call.

Tonight’s #NBAPlayoffs Referee Assignments 🏀🏆

➡️See below for West Semifinals Game 6️⃣ Referee Assignments

WEST SEMIFINALS – GAME 6
⏰ 830PM ET
🏀 @okcthunder at @nuggets
🏀 #8 Davis, #24 K. Scott, #27 Ervin
📺 @ESPNNBA

Alternate Official: Sean Corbin

Replay Center… pic.twitter.com/YvAfgTnkS1

— NBA Referees (@OfficialNBARefs) May 15, 2025

For those who don’t remember, Davis was the official who let the Minnesota Timberwolves be overly physical with the Nuggets in the West Semis last year. He was on the crew for Games 2 and 6 of that series, which Denver lost by a combined 71 points. The Wolves were allowed to do whatever they wanted to the Nuggets defensively in those two games, as Davis tends to have a relaxed whistle and let the teams play — albeit too much.

In 2024, the Nuggets have a 3-3 record with Davis as on the officiating crew, including the Game 7 win over the LA Clippers in the opening round of the postseason. However, that Clippers team is nowhere near as physical or talented on the defensive side of the ball as Oklahoma City, who could easily benefit from Davis’s presence.

He was also on the call for Game 2 against the LA Clippers, and didn’t call a foul when Michael Porter Jr. had his shoulder landed on and sprained towards the end of the game.

Remember that in Game 2 against Minnesota last year, Jamal Murray was so frustrated with the officiating that he threw a heat pack on the floor while play was going.

Jamal Murray threw a heat pack onto the court 😳 pic.twitter.com/Iho8YW8Q0H

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 7, 2024

While Davis doesn’t have an entire hype reel like Foster has, he is still one of the most well-known officials in the league thanks to how he lets games get physical. What will be important for Denver is making the game physical instead of waiting for calls. In the games that Davis officiated against Minnesota last year, Denver sat around and waited for a foul call while Minnesota took advantage. If Denver comes out Thursday night being the aggressor, and they make Davis blow the whistle, it will put them in a good position off the bat.

Thursday’s game from Ball Arena tips off at 6:30 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN. For a full preview of the must-win game, read here.