Luka Doncic and the Slovenian national team bowed out of the EuroBasket 2022 on Wednesday after a gutting 90-87 loss in the quarter-finals against Poland. There were some high hopes for the Dallas Mavericks superstar and his team, but in the end, they fell short against a formidable Polish side.
After the game, a visibly upset Luka was asked if injuries played a role in his poor shooting night. At that point, Doncic admitted that he had indeed been nursing a few knocks (h/t ClutchPoints on Twitter):
“I don't know, probably not a hundred percent,” Luka said. “I received an injection in the third quarter. I've been dealing with a lot this EuroBasket.”
Doncic finished with 15 points on 5-of-15 shooting and 3-of-8 from beyond the arc, while also turning the ball over six times. He did manage 11 rebounds and seven assists, though, but it just wasn't enough.
Luka Doncic made it clear, however, that he wasn't going to use his injuries as an excuse. The Mavs All-Star owned up to his shortcomings with an emotional message:
“But that's not the reason,” he continued. “Today, I played terrible. I let my team down. I let the whole country that was supporting us down. And that's on me. I got to look back at this game and be better.”
"Today, I played terribly. I let my team down. I let the whole country that was supporting us down… I got to look back at this game and be better."
Luka Doncic says his back wasn't the reason Slovenia loss to Polandpic.twitter.com/PrLtU38Sf7
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) September 14, 2022
That's tough. Luka Doncic has been on a tear throughout the tournament, and it's a shame that he wasn't at his best against Poland. A heartbroken Doncic will now head back to the United States to begin his preparations for the new season with the Mavs.
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