FIBA on Sunday admitted that the three referees made incorrect judgments on possession at 30.8 seconds of the fourth quarter of the game between Lithuania and France at the Basketball World Cup on Saturday. The three officials will not officiate any more games at the tournament.
"After a video review of the FIBA Basketball World Cup game between France and Lithuania played on Saturday September 7, FIBA has determined that during the last free-throw attempt by Lithuania player #17 with 30.8 seconds remaining in the 4th Quarter, French player #27 touched the rim while the ball was contact with it," the organization said on Twitter.
"The correct decision should have been to call a basket interference and one point awarded for Lithuania. The officials of this game will not officiate any more games in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019."
Dainius Adomaitis, head coach of Lithuania, answers questions at the press conference after the game against France at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing, September 7, 2019. /VCG Photo
This mistake cost Lithuania not only the game but also a place in the quarterfinals. The team's head coach Dainius Adomaitis was furious about the result.
"Yes, ask questions for FIBA. Ask them. Why are you asking me about such refereeing? It’s the second game in a row. One game against Australia, we play rugby; second game, we can’t play even with contact," he said at the post-game press conference.
"This is a f***ing joke! This not basketball, this is not system. For what they have this VAR system? You don’t need to be smart, you need to be honest. Stop the game, go watch what has happened in the game. These guys, they’re spending all summer; two months without families, they (are) receiving zero dollars, euros. Biggest respect for them but somebody doesn’t respect this game. This is a f***ing joke!"
Jonas Valanciunas of Lithuania seems depressed after his team lost to France 78-75 in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing, September 7, 2019. /VCG Photo
As one of the best-performing teams in the World Cup European qualifiers, Lithuania were struck by misfortune. They were in the "Group of Death" with Australia and Canada and entered the second stage with two wins and one loss, meaning that the team could not afford to lose any more games.
Nonetheless, like what happened in their competition with Australia, Lithuania froze at the 3-point line in the first quarter of the game against France and, as a result, trailed 26-14. Though the team tried hard enough to fight back and once gained the lead in Q4, the referees' mistake ruined their efforts and kicked the team out of the tournament.