Roger Grimau, Alex Abrines and Oscar da Silva didn't like the way the officials treated Barcelona in Game 2 of their Spanish league playoff series against Real Madrid.
After losing Game 1 of the Spanish league semifinal series to Real Madrid, a reaction was urgently needed from FC Barcelona. A slight improvement, a certain change in the approach and some moments of confidence did not surprise the EuroLeague finalists, who won Game 2 (104-98) to put the Blaugrana on the ropes.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
21
|
| Walter Tavares | |
| Points | 12 |
| Accuracy | 3-4 |
| Rebounds | 9 |
| Assists | 0 |
Roger Grimau's team is now forced to win the next three games to reach the finals. The state of suspicion that Barca had about the refereeing criteria turned into indignation when Joel Parra was called his third foul in the third quarter.
Roger Grimau did not abandon his usual calm approach when he appeared in the press room of the WiZink Center but it was clear that he didn't like the officials' criteria at all.
"The contacts are of no use to us, we cannot collect fouls from there and we do receive many fouls from that. I am convinced that one day they will call some of those fouls," said Grimau, who when asked if he thought that those contacts and fouls had been whistled too little responded that "we did, from the first minute. It's the feeling I have and I'm so stupid for saying that."
According to Alex Abrines, Barca managed to compete "as far as they [the referees] let us."
"The referees are constantly watching our bench when the Real Madrid bench does the same thing. They gave us a tech for asking for a traveling violation," the Spanish internatonal said.
"Things like that are destabilizing. If they are the same for both teams, then you accept it. But when a team is officiated in one way and then you turn your head and your rival does the same and they don't whistle..." Abrines noted.
Oscar da Silva argued that the referees failed "in many situations."
"We can complain that they have been very permissive with Real Madrid, but I think that while we're on the road, they are not going to give us anything. In my opinion, today they have failed in many situations, but it is part of the game. We do not want that to take our concentration away," he declared.
Regarding the game, da Silva noted that Barca keep doing "some stupid things."
"We are not making a foul when it's the right time, not grabbing a rebound... things like that. Then we get angry with the referees and it takes away our concentration. Thus, away from home against such a good team it is difficult to win. I think that in the first game there was a lack of attitude, today was better, but there was a lack of concentration and execution in some moments.
Real Madrid are a high-quality team and although it seems to me that sometimes they are lucky, they are a very good team," the German forward concluded.
