With the NBA season coming to an end last month, the focus has now shifted to the upcoming Paris Olympics. While most teams had already booked their ticket to the prestigious event, some nations went head-to-head this weekend, fighting for the remaining berths in the tournament. Headlining the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament held in Valencia, Spain, the home team faced a Buddy Hield-led Bahamas in the final match. However, a controversial ending shattered the visitor’s Olympics dream, leaving the newly acquired Warriors’ star fuming.

Despite a hard-fought battle by Buddy Hield and Co., it was Spain who ended up on the winning side with a final score of 86-78, booking their seventh straight trip to the Olympics. Meanwhile, the Bahamas, who were hoping to play in the Olympics for the first time, were left heartbroken. After the game, Hield let the world know what he believed was the crucial reason his team lost 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.”

Surely, the numbers showed why Hield was so frustrated with the officiating of the FIBA referees as the Bahamas got called for 22 fouls in the heated game, whereas Spain only picked up sixteen fouls. And even the free-throw numbers were heavily skewed as Hield’s squad only added ten points from charity stripes, while the home team added 23. Backing his claim, Hield also believed that the game being held in Spain might also have played a part in the officials calling the game in their favor, “I know we’re in Spain. It is what it is.” But was the alleged biased officiating the only reason why the Bahamas missed their shot at playing in the Olympics?

How did Buddy Hield perform against Spain?

While Hield firmly believes that the referees were the reason why the Bahamas missed out on their ticket to Paris. However, there might be a few more reasons why his team lost. For instance, Hield was the highest scorer on his team in the final game with nineteen points, but even he struggled to shoot the ball efficiently. Known as one of the best shooters in the league, most of Hield’s deep-range shots fell flat as he missed eight of his ten attempts from three.

Even his running mate, Deandre Ayton, had his lowest-scoring game of the tournament against Spain, finishing with only seventeen points. And when a team’s two top stars are not performing at their best, there is not much that could have been done to save the Bahamas. Taking an early twelve-point lead, Spain never let go of their advantage and dominated throughout the game. Although Hield’s squad did bring the game to within six in the final minutes, their effort was not enough to finish the comeback. And while Hield’s Olympics dream has come crashing down, Spain will join Australia, Canada, and Greece in Group A, hoping to win Gold in Paris.

Before you go, do not forget to check out Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, to open up about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud. Keep checking this space for more such updates.