Boomers fall short by one point as Spain claim bronze

Isn't it wonderful that we can now have these debates about our great game. It was not that long ago that our games didn't rate a mention and if we did happen to win a game it was probably more due the other team having a bad night. As hard as we tried we just weren't that competitive. I have waited a long time to see our game reach this point, we aren't quite at the top but with any luck that wont be too far away. The thing that is standing out to me now and is born out in the above letters and the gamesmanship that is in our games, these things only happen in close games. It wasn't that long ago that these games were anything but, these teams are now worrying about having to play us, isn't that great. Sure it was disappointing to lose the bronze game but look at the way the Spaniards celebrated, that to me was of far greater value than any bronze medal. They fell over the line, they were relieved, they knew that they had been in a game and they know that there is a better than even chance that next time that result just may be different. To all the Boomers on court and off, well done and congratulations, we are all so proud of your achievement. This is one fan that wasn't overly disappointed to miss bronze, we pushed the number two team in the world to the limit, wasn't it great?

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Gasol and Spain's reputation intimidated them I expect. The nature of hometown calls is that refs take the least controversial way and usually favour the more highly fancied team, in this case that would be Spain. If a team gets on a roll and appears to be winning things thus seem to go for them. That is the safest way for the refs. They need to be called out so that next time they are more careful and you get a bit more respect. That is in fact a sort of gamesmanship also of course. Spain got on a roll in the first half but in the final minutes the momentum and all the actual basketball was going the Boomers way. Without the refs intervening Boomers should have won. The final foul was actually almost an offensive foul if Mills had have milked it. It wasn't 50-50 foul/no foul, it was 50/50 offensive/defensive so shouldn't have been called. Mills had position and Rodriguez avoided the charge by stepping sideways and diving and flopping.

If anyone had seen the Spain USA game it was officiated exactly the same way. The Spanish literally flew into the front row at the hint of contact. Boogie Cousins also fouled off in the 3rd quarter the same as Bogut. It wasn't even questionable that the refs were calling the game in Spain's favour (ie tightly on contact of any sort). It made it even harder to swallow when I then watched Serbia and Australia commit criminal assaults against each other. International basketball is a strange beast in which officialdom appears to have little accountability. Much like FIFA.

As a player, if an opponent was flopping, I'd point it out to the ref. Depending on the stakes - and they were high last night, so I'd do it. The ref really has to respond to that and keep a sharp look-out for it after being told. Most refs will respond positively to a quiet word about the other team's tactics. I am almost sure Bogut and his teammates would have been vocal about Spain's tactics last night. Why did the refs keep making soft calls?

Look, I don't think the Boomers would have had a problem losing fair and square by a point or whatever. They are very experienced basketball players, it has happened to them hundreds of times. But what transpired should not happen in such a significant game at this level. It is to their credit that despite their experience, wealth, NBA successes and championships, that it mattered to them so much.

It was clear the Boomers, Bogut in particular, thought the Spanish milked it, flopped and carried on to the refs all night. Maybe we should call it gamesmanship rather than unsportsmanlike behaviour, but there is often a fine line depending on your point of view.

The tech fouls weren';t they for swearing, because I saw no replays on those. One thing they need to learn is swearing at the refs is going to stuff you over with the refs not just the tech foul the refs will get back at you later in the game, and they certainly did them over. Spain certainly seemed to be mouthing off more, but in Spanish so maybe none of them spoke Spanish. .They should also call them sir every time, question the decisions but add sir at the end and the refs will start calling things the reverse way because you sucked up to them.

I didn't watch the match due its awkward time but of the specific 2 incidents where Patty Mills was fouled, I'd struggle to call the Spanish players unsportsmanlike. They just went hard at the basket, which is a good tactic at that point of the game and if your opponents are in foul trouble. I'm not saying you're referring to those incidents either. But for those incidents, the onus is on the refs to call it properly. And yeah, they seem to have caved.

I have coached, played and watched thousands of games at all levels of representation. The bottom line is that the coach in particular needs to demand respect and equal treatment, before, after and during the game. And his association whatever it is needs to back him up. I think Bogut given his position and status in the game had every right to call the refs and FIBA out on this game. In the next decade when we will hammer Spain repeatedly with our emerging young NBA stars I'm certain the Boomers will conduct themselves in a far more sportsmanlike fashion than the Spaniards did last night. I was really proud of the Boomers last night. But there is no doubt they were ripped off.

Having played 100s of club basketball matches over 20 years (very averagely, but anyway) it's difficult not to bang on about the refs. One reason is the sense that some teams manage to lord it over certain refs. Some refs are really good about resisting player pressure but others seem to submit a bit. As a player certainly, if I sensed a ref was taking the conflict-minimisation route by appeasing the complaining opposition, I'd introduce a bit of conflict of my own. I think that's warranted here, too. Although it's too late now.

They didn't bang on about the refs. Everyone knew they were robbed and the media dragged it out of them. Mills was very diplomatic about the refs and refused to blame them. Bogut was reluctant but as an NBA superstar and leading defensive all star he has every right to criticise the reffing for the difference in his treatment from that of Gasol. Bottom line is that if you don't say anything you will never get respect. As I said I love Gasol, he is a great player, but he carried on all night like an entitled prima donna, whinging and whining and manipulating the refs, meanwhile the Aussies were hammered with techs, an unbelievable unsportsmanlike call, soft fouls and in the end a couple of blatant ridiculous game deciding decisions. To have said nothing would be to disrespect the game. The game of basketball is better than that.

Very poor sportsmanship banging on about the refs. Suck it up. What a bunch of prima donas.

What happened was that the Boomers had actually won that game twice with good basketball plays and the Spaniards had been handed the lead back twice for crap play with BS by the refs. Boomers failed on the third attempt to win it. The Spaniards did not really win that game.

Whenever I coach a big game, Grand final, championship whatever and it comes down to a single point game as it often does, I tell my kids the result doesn't matter, when it's that close it is almost nothing the difference between winning and losing, they are still winners. The boomers guys have played the game all their life and appreciate this, but when a game is blatantly decided by the refs with absurd calls on the last two defensive plays it is really hard to take. They were clearly shattered and actually far more diplomatic than they should have been. The reffing all night had been a disgrace.

I think it was soft. If you watch Mills he was retreating with his hands in the air. He didn't really have a clear set, but he didn't initiate the contact either. I wouldn't have called it. As JVGO said above, the Spaniard went for the contact and got the soft call. It's not in the official rules, but I especially wouldn't call that in the last seconds of the game.

That was agonizingly close. I really though they could do it when Spain had it with 9.7 seconds left. Mills was immense though I thought going to him with 5 seconds to go was too obvious. One query from those who know Basketball really well. Was the call on Mills justified, bad or terrible.

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Australia should have batted first to avoid kicking against the wind in the final quarter. Either way, if you're not covering spikes at the net; you'll never hit the bulls-eye.

I have played, reffed, coached and watched all my life. If you reward a guy like the Spaniard on the drive with a medal for an out of control drive with no plan b, a head first dive on the ground while chucking the ball up wildly at the rim then basketball may as well be dead. The game would become a joke. It wasn't even the worst call. The play before where Baynes was fouled for holding his ground while Gasol tried to back him down and drove his shoulder into his chest was even more absurd. I love Gasol but he really carried on last night and got away with murder while the boomers got flogged with techs, ridiculous calls, soft fouls and unsportsmanlike stuff all game.