Canada was trying to fight back against the host France in their pursuit of a medal. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has utilized his best, scoring relentlessly for the Maples. But France kept striking back. Or maybe it’s the referees that are keeping them in the game? The free throw disparity between the two sides compels one to think so.

Even before the first half ended, Canada had only been awarded 8 free throws. At that very same time, the French, who tried a new lineup without Gobert, had 25 free throws! That was almost the sole reason France held a 15-point lead at the half. At one point, they had more attempts from the charity stripe than field goals.

Since then the game became more even. And the Maples led a surge to get back in the game. SGA is by far the most successful scorer in the game. His 27 points kept Canada in the hunt. However, his compatriot Jamal Murray has equally struggled to have his shots falling, converting only 3 of his 13 attempts so far. RJ Barrett added 16 in the losing effort.

For France, an early three-point shower from Isaia Cordinier gave the hosts a major advantage in the quarterfinal matchup. Yabusele Guerschon’s 22 points have also been crucial to France’s survival, despite their free-throw advantage. The dagger though came from a miracle Evan Fournier three from near half-court, which took the game out of Canada’s reach.

Fans in disgust over officiating during France vs Canada

Watching the game became hard for passionate basketball fans once the free throws began coming a little too often for France. While some calls were justified, there were a few that caught the fans off guard. “It ain’t Canada Vs France it’s Canada Vs The Refs” one fan said on X.

The Maple have had to battle some ‘soft’ calls from the referees so far. Moreover, the rapturous home crowd in Paris has also derailed their focus, impacting the performance of several of Canada’s credible players like Murray and Dillion Brooks. Combined, they have only made four field goals in the game.

The blatant disparity also had fans questioning whether France had the support of the officials. “This is one of the worst referee’d games I’ve ever seen. There is a clear disparity in how they are calling France. It’s so blatant. As if the olympics aren’t known for being rigged,” a furious fan expressed.

Some of the calls did paint a disappointing picture for the fans. Especially since the free throws ultimately decided the outcome of the game. In such a tightly contested matchup, having a 10+ advantage from the free throw line helped France incredibly in their nail-biting win against Canada.

The rage just kept growing among the Canadian fans. The team was touted as a medal-winning team and the strongest threat to Team USA. However, such an end to their journey didn’t do their talent justice. “This Canada Vs France game is the most obviously rigged game in sports history” a fan wrote.

Even though France did have a free-throw advantage, it’s not the only reason they won. The French defense forced Canada into taking tough shots and they also grabbed some critical rebounds at the right time. Canada only shot 38% from the floor, while the hosts hit 42% which included four more triples.

However, there was one foul that left a fan saying, “Clearly some biased refs here in Canada vs France. It’s a damn shame. Canada team travels halfway across the world just to be f***ed over by Pepe Le Pew. Calling Lyles from over the back while he gets shoved to the ground is comedic”.

That call in particular though was hard to digest for the fans. Canada’s Trey Lyles was called for a defensive foul while being on the back of the France player who fell over him. The call being late in the game not only gave the hosts an additional possession but also one lesser chance for Canada to score and deplete the lead.

What did you think of the game? Let us know your views in the comments below.