"We didn't get respect; not as a basketball nation, but as a team" - Serbian coach is furious as his stars combined for only five free-throws

Serbia had the United States teetering on the edge of a stunning defeat in the semifinals as they established an 11-point lead with eight minutes to go in the fourth period. But much as they have for their entire careers, American hoop icons LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant put on their capes and rescued Team USA from the jaws of defeat.

However, amidst the fanfare surrounding Team USA's stirring victory, Serbian coach Svetislav Pesic was fuming. Despite his team's strong performance, especially in the first half, where they led by as much as 17, they were still unable to secure the win. After the game, Pesic could not help but vent his frustrations regarding the game's officiating crew.

Not enough respect

Pesic's grievance stems from the fact that his best player, three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic , shot only four free throws despite playing 38 minutes and functioning as Serbia's central offensive hub. The veteran coach saw this as a lack of respect from the referees.

"I'm angry because we didn't get respect from the referees," Pesic said for Mozzart Sport. "I'm angry because we didn't get respect. I have to say that, because the best player in the world shot 4 free throws in 37 minutes."

If that wasn't enough, Serbia's other ace, wingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, shot only one free-throw in 32 minutes of playing time. This development made Pesic describe the game's officiating as "strange."

"If our best scorer plays 32 minutes and shoots only one throw, that means strange things have been happening," Serbia's longtime coach added. "I do not diminish their victory, I wish them luck. But tonight, strange things happened."

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Not for lack of trying

Although Serbia launched 39 three-point attempts, Pesic said his team was aggressive inside the shaded lane. However, the refs didn't blow their whistles, and Serbia ended up with only 12 free-throw attempts, making ten of them.

"We didn't get respect; not as a basketball nation, but as a team," Serbia's coach lamented. "I've always told the players that if you keep quiet, if you fight and kick your stomach, the referees will reward you. We didn't have that tonight."

It must be noted that Team USA shot only two more free throws than Serbia. In fact, LeBron James shot only three from the line, while Kevin Durant didn't even shoot one.

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