Slovenia led for the majority of the game against Germany, but in the fourth quarter, they went on a 12-3 run to start the period and never looked back. Slovenia fell to Germany 99-91 and have been eliminated from this EuroBasket competition.
Luka Dončić did everything he could to will his team to victory, but it wasn’t enough. He ended the night with 39 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Now, Slovenia is done with EuroBasket play, and Germany will move on to the semifinals.
Early on, Slovenia stayed
competitive with Germany as the game was even at 11 midway through the opening quarter.
Every time Germany had a surge, Slovenia was able to respond. Then, after Luka hit a pair of free throws, made another basket and dished a pass for an easy dunk, Slovenia was ahead 22-17.
After one quarter of play, Luka was already at double-digit points and Slovenia was in front 32-21.
In the second quarter, however, Germany began to dominate. They pushed the pace and outscored Slovenia 13-4 to start the second period, making it a one-possession game midway through the quarter.
Following a timeout, Luka immediately scored and helped slow down Germany’s run. Both teams kept exchanging baskets for the rest of the half.
Former Lakers guard Dennis Schröder scored on a layup to even the game, and Luka countered with a 3-pointer to give Slovenia back the lead. Thanks to Luka’s 22 points, Slovenia entered the second half ahead 51-45.
Schröder and Dončić continued to play well for their respective sides in the third quarter.
Luka was leading the charge with long outlet passes and buckets, and Dennis was also scoring and being an irritant on the floor. The two collided with each other in the lane and Luka was called for the offensive foul while Dennis smiled menacingly on the floor.
Dončić had four fouls and had to be careful the rest of the way to ensure he wouldn’t foul out. Slovenia continued to remain in front, but Germany remained within striking distance for the rest of the quarter. After a half-court buzzer beater, Germany trailed by just four points entering the fourth.
In the final period, Germany’s quality was evident. They quickly took the lead, and even when Luka checked back in, he was unable to alter the momentum.
Luka did give Slovenia a one-point edge for a brief moment midway through the quarter, but Germany immediately scored and never conceded the advantage after that.
Key Takeaways:
Slovenia played relatively well in this competition. There is no shame in losing to a top country like Germany. From the Lakers fans’ perspective, you saw Luka playing well and since he walked away from EuroBasket healthy, this was all a net positive for his upcoming NBA season.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
