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Headlining the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Valencia, Spain, the host nation faced a Buddy Hield-led Bahamas in the final match. Unfortunately for the visitors, the breaks of the game crushed their Olympic dreams, leaving the newly acquired Golden State Warriors' star visibly frustrated.
With the NBA season ending last month, attention has now turned to the upcoming Paris Olympics. While many teams had already secured their spots in the prestigious event, several nations competed this weekend for the remaining berths in the tournament.
Despite a valiant effort from Buddy Hield and his squad, Spain triumphed with a final score of 86-78, earning their seventh straight Olympic berth.
Buddy Hield blaming the refs as Bahamas falls short of the Olympics
The Bahamas, aiming for their first ever Olympic appearance, were heartbroken by the loss. Post-game, a frustrated Hield shared his perspective on what he felt was the key reason behind his team's loss to Spain.
“The refs, the refs, the refs. I hate calling of the refs, it’s like the foul calling is too, too much difference in foul calling,” Hield said. The numbers indeed highlighted Hield's frustration with the officiating, as the Bahamas were called for 22 fouls during the intense game, compared to Spain's 16 fouls.
The free-throw statistics were similarly lopsided, with Hield’s team scoring just ten points from the charity stripe, while the home team netted 23. Hield suggested that playing in Spain may have influenced the officials to favor the home team with their calls.
“I know we're in Spain. It is what it is,” continued the new Warriors guard.
"The refs, the refs, the refs."
Buddy Hield on "the crucial part" of Bahamas' 86-78 loss to Spain in OQT final Sunday in Valencia.
Bahamas 22 fouls (10-of-13 FTs), Spain 16 fouls (23-of-25 FTs).
"I know we're in Spain. It is what it is."
Spain advances to #Paris2024 Olympics. pic.twitter.com/2m5UjggAZT
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) July 7, 2024
Bad game for the Bahamas
Was biased officiating the sole reason the Bahamas missed their shot at the Olympics? While Hield is adamant that the referees cost his team a ticket to Paris, other factors may have contributed to their loss. Hield, the highest scorer for his team in the final game struggled with shooting efficiency himself.
Regarded as one of the premier shooters in the NBA, Hield struggled from deep during the game, missing eight out of his ten three-point attempts.
Deandre Ayton had a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds, Buddy Hield led all scorers with 19 points and added 6 rebounds, while Eric Gordon contributed 15 points to their effort.However, the rest of the team had difficulty scoring baskets.
When the key players of a team aren't performing well, it's challenging to turn things around. Spain took an early twelve-point lead and maintained control throughout the game, ensuring they never let go of their advantage.
Despite Hield's team narrowing the game to a six-point deficit in the final minutes, their effort fell short of completing the comeback.
While Buddy Hield's hopes for the Olympics have ended, Spain will now join Australia, Canada, and Greece in Group A, aiming to contend for the gold in Paris.
The Paris Olympics will be Sergio Llull's fourth time participating and Rudy Fernandez's sixth, cementing them as legends of Spanish basketball. At 39 years old, Fernandez is poised to surpass Andre Gaze (Australia), Oscar Schmidt (Brazil), and Juan Carlos Navarro (Spain) for the most Olympic appearances with five.
