Yeah, this crew reminded me immediately of the crew that had Game 6 in 2012.
That night, the crew was supposed to be Joey Crawford, Bill Kennedy, and (the late) Greg Willard. But that afternoon, Willard -- who was a terrific official -- showed the first signs of the pancreatic cancer that would ultimately claim his life, and the alternate official, Rodney Mott, had to step in.
The dynamic, with the substitution, was this: a really solid (Philadelphia-bred) senior official in Joey, Bill Kennedy, and an official who was really too inexperienced to be calling a game of that magnitude had that game (that Game 6 was Mott's 2nd ever conference finals game -- and to give you some idea, he's only worked 1 conference finals game since, and only 5 conference semifinals games since). Joey is pilloried around here for that game and perhaps rightly so; but my recollection is that the big momentum swings of the 3rd quarter that night came on close plays that Kennedy and Mott gave to the Thunder.
Flash forward to this Game 6 and you have a similar dynamic: a really solid (Philadelphia-bred) senior official in Mike Callahan, Bill Kennedy (again), and an official who is really inexperienced in games of this magnitude in Fitzgerald (this Game 6 will be Fitzgerald's 2nd ever conference semifinals game).
That similarity doesn't strike me as a good thing and the sheer numbers also aren't particularly encouraging -- just about any way you slice them.
CALLAHAN
This is Callahan's 4th game in the 2016 conference semifinals (Game 2 of CLE/ATL; Game 3 of GST/PRT; Game 4 of TOR/MIA). It is his 11th game in the 2016 playoffs, his 181st career playoff game, and his 52nd career game in the conference semifinals. In the 2016 playoffs, home teams are 9-1 with Callahan, including 3-0 in the conference semifinals. Between 2007 and 2015, home teams were 63-39 (.618) with Callahan, including 19-9 in the conference semifinals. Callahan had Game 2 of the SA/MEM series and Game 3 of the OKC/DAL series.
Callahan and Kennedy have called 3 games together in these playoffs: Game 7 of MIA/CHA (Miami home win), Game 3 of GST/PRT (Portland home win), and Game 4 of TOR/MIA (Miami home win). Callahan and Fitzgerald have called 1 previous game together in these playoffs: Game 6 of TOR/IND (Indiana home win).
All-Time, the Spurs are 19-13 in the playoffs with Callahan, but 5-7 on the road and 1-3 on the road in the conference semifinals. The Spurs are 1-2 on the road with Callahan in Game 6's (one of those was Game 6 of the 2013 Finals). The Spurs had Callahan once in 2015 -- a home loss in Game 4 to the Clippers. In 2014, the Spurs were 2-1 with Callahan (won Game 5 at home v. Dallas, lost Game 4 at OKC, won Game 4 at Miami). In 2013, the Spurs were 2-2 with Callahan (won Game 2 v. LAL, won Game 1 v. GST, lost Game 4 v. MIA, lost Game 6 at MIA). Here's a list of all Spurs playoff games with Callahan:
2015 WCFR, Game 4 v. LAC (L)
2014 FINALS, Game 4 at MIA (W)
2014 WCF, Game 4 at OKC (L)
2014 WCFR, Game 5 v. DAL (W)
2013 WCSF, Game 1 v. GST (W)
2013 WCFR, Game 2 v. LAL (W)
2013 FINALS, Game 4 v. MIA (L)
2013 FINALS, Game 6 at MIA (L)
2012 WCF, Game 5 v. OKC (L)
2010 WCFR, Game 2 at DAL (W)
2009 WCFR, Game 4 at DAL (L)
2008 WCFR, Game 1 v. PNX (W)
2008 WCSF, Game 1 at NO (L)
2008 WCF, Game 3 v. LAL (W)
2007 FINALS, Game 1 v. CLE (W)
2007 WCF, Game 1 v. UTH (W)
2007 WCFR, Game 3 at DEN (W)
2006 WCFR, Game 1 v. SAC (W)
2006 WCSF, Game 6 at DAL (W)
2005 FINALS, Game 1 v. DET (W)
2005 FINALS, Game 5 at DET (W)
2005 WCF, Game 4 v. PNX (L)
2005 WCSF, Game 4 at SEA (L)
2005 WCFR, Game 5 v. DEN (W)
2004 WCSF, Game 6 at LAL (L)
2003 WCSF, Game 1 v. LAL (W)
2003 FINALS, Game 4 at NJ (L)
2003 WCF, Game 5 v. DAL (L)
2002 WCSF, Game 4 v. LAL (L)
2002 WCFR, Game 5 v. SEA (W)
2001 WCSF, Game 5 v. DAL (W)
SEA/OKC is 6-6 all-time in the playoffs with Callahan, including 3-1 at home and 2-0 at home in the conference semifinals. Those games were:
2016 WCFR, Game 3 at Dallas (W)
2014 WCFR, Game 2 v. Memphis (L)
2014 WCF, Game 4 v. SA (W)
2014 WCSF, Game 4 at LAC (L)
2013 WCFR, Game 6 at HOU (W)
2012 FINALS, Game 4 at MIA (L)
2012 WCF, Game 5 at SA (W)
2011 WCSF, Game 3 at MEM (L)
2011 WCSF, Game 7 v. MEM (W)
2005 WCSF, Game 4 v. SA (W)
2002 WCFR, Game 5 at SA (L)
2000 WCFR, Game 2 at UTH (L)
The Spurs are 1-3 against SEA/OKC in the playoffs with Callahan (lost Game 4 in 2014 WCF at OKC, lost Game 5 in 2012 WCF at home, lost Game 4 of 2005 WCSF at Seattle, won Game 5 of the 2002 WCFR at home (over Seattle)).
FITZGERALD
This is Fitzgerald's 2nd game in the 2016 conference semifinals (Game 3 of TOR/MIA). It is his 7th game in the 2016 playoffs, his 9th career playoff game, and (as noted above) his 2nd career game in the conference semifinals. In the 2016 playoffs, home teams are 2-4 with Fitzgerald, including 0-1 in the conference semifinals. Fitzgerald had Game 3 of the SA/MEM series (his only career SA playoff game); he has never called an OKC playoff game.
KENNEDY
This is Kennedy's 3rd game in the 2016 conference semifinals (Game 3 of GST/PRT and Game 4 of TOR/MIA (both paired with Callahan)). It is his 8th game in the 2016 playoffs, his 87th career playoff game, and his 21st career game in the conference semifinals. In the 2016 playoffs, home teams are 6-1 with Kennedy, including 2-0 in the conference semifinals. Between 2007 and 2015, home teams were 44-29 (.603) with Kennedy in the playoffs, and 11-7 in the conference semifinals. Kennedy had Game 1 of the SA/MEM series, but has not called an OKC game.
All-time, the Spurs are 8-7 in the playoffs with Kennedy, but 3-5 on the road and 0-2 on the road in the conference semifinals. The Spurs are 0-1 on the road in Game 6's with Kennedy (the aforementioned 2012 Game 6). In 2015, Kennedy called the Spurs Game 5 win at LAC. In 2014, he called their Game 4 win at Dallas and their Game 3 loss at OKC. In 2013, he called their Game 4 loss at GST, their Game 2 win (though not without a whole lot of drama and some really iffy calls) at home over Memphis, and their Game 4 loss at home to MIA in the Finals. Here's a complete list of the Spurs playoff games with Kennedy:
2015 WCFR, Game 5 at LAC (W)
2014 WCF, Game 3 at OKC (L)
2014 WCFR, Game 4 at DAL (W)
2013 WCF, Game 2 v. MEM (W)
2013 FINALS, Game 4 v. MIA (L)
2013 WCSF, Game 4 at GST (L)
2012 WCFR, Game 2 v. UTH (W)
2012 WCF, Game 6 at OKC (L)
2010 WCFR, Game 1 at DAL (L)
2010 WCSF, Game 3 v. PNX (L)
2008 WCSF, Game 3 v. NO (W)
2007 WCSF, Game 2 at PNX (L)
2007 WCFR, Game 4 at DEN (W)
2006 WCFR, Game 2 v. SAC (W)
SEA/OKC is 6-3 all-time in the playoffs with Kennedy, including 5-1 at home and 2-0 at home in the conference semifinals. They're 1-1 in home Game 6's with Kennedy -- the loss was in the 2010 WCFR to the Lakers. Here is a complete list of those games:
2014 WCF, Game 3 v. SA (W)
2014 WCSF, Game 3 at LAC (W)
2013 WCSF, Game 1 v. MEM (W)
2012 FINALS, Game 4 at MIA (L)
2012 WCF, Game 6 v. SA (W)
2011 WCFR, Game 1 v. DEN (W)
2011 WCF, Game 1 at DAL (L)
2011 WCSF, Game 2 v. MEM (W)
2010 WCFR, Game 6 v. LAL (L)
The Spurs are 0-2 against OKC in the playoffs with Kennedy. Along with Game 6 in 2012, the Spurs also lost Game 3 at OKC in 2014.
COLLINS
Though unlikely to see the court tonight, Collins has worked 3 games in this year's playoffs, 20 career playoff games, and 3 career conference semifinals games (including Game 2 of TOR/MIA this year). He did not have any SA or OKC games in the First Round. He has worked 2 previous Spurs playoff games -- Game 1 of the 2012 WCSF (home win over LAC) and Game 2 of the 2007 WCFR (home win over Denver). He has never worked an OKC playoff game.