The blue and yellow Miami Heat star had a different debut in the European Championship basketball. Two fouls in two minutes directly in the match start meant that Larsson sat on the bench for large parts of the first half.
In the second half, the 24-year-old contributed with ten points, but the end of the Russian defeat (90–93) Larsson had to watch from the bench.
He got his fifth foul with less than a minute left – a referee decision he was anything but pleased with.
I'll have to check the film, but I don't think I touched him. You can think what you want, but it doesn't matter, it won't change anything now, says Pelle Larsson.
More free throws
Sweden made a huge effort in the men's national team's first European Championship match since 2013. Finland had the margins on their side and maybe also the referees in the Russian premiere in Tampere.
The home team got to shoot 26 free throws, Sweden only 16.
We give Finland a good fight, but hard to win when they shoot as many free throws as they do. They have a player like (Lauri) Markkanen who sets foul pressure and forces tough decisions – sometimes you just have to foul him, says Larsson.
"Very difficult"
Between the lines, one could sense a blue and yellow frustration with the referees' assessments, even if the Swedes were cautious about how they expressed themselves.
Markkanen shot 14 free throws and we shot 16 as a team. It was very difficult if I'm being honest. It put us in a tough situation, it definitely did, says national team coach Mikko Riipinen.
The referees do their best. Sometimes it's wrong and sometimes it's right. It's also an atmosphere that affects.
Sweden will meet the reigning world champions Germany in the next match, early on Friday afternoon.
