Luka Doncic and Slovenia's national team were one of many hopefuls playing at EuroBasket this year. The Los Angeles Lakers star has put up big numbers at the tournament so far. However, he met his match against Franz Wagner and Germany's national team on Wednesday. Germany defeated Slovenia 99-91 in the quarterfinals, sending Doncic and his teammates home.
Doncic is one of the NBA's brightest stars. However, he was not the only powerhouse to compete at EuroBasket this season. Both Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo were also in the field and put up dominant performances. However, Slovenia depended heavily on Doncic throughout the competition and eventually ran into a team with enough depth to take them down.
Wagner led the way for Germany with 23 points. However, he was one of five players who notched double digit points, with Dennis Schroder chipping in 20 points of his own. On the other side of the matchup, Doncic scored 39 points for Slovenia. Unfortunately for him, the second-highest scorer on his team contributed just 13 points in the game.
Doncic carrying Slovenia in its quarterfinal game is nothing new for Slovenia. He has put up big numbers throughout EuroBasket, averaging well over 30 points per game for his team. The Lakers guard scored over 35 points for the fourth time in seven games, putting a cap on a summer to remember in Europe.
With EuroBasket over for Slovenia, Doncic can shift his focus back to the NBA. He signed a lucrative extension with the Lakers earlier this summer, keeping him in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future. However, the international success will have to wait until the next competition where Doncic can suit up for Slovenia again.
Wagner and Germany have become an elite team on the international stage. After a good showing in the 2024 Olympics, they took off in EuroBasket again. Now, they can add a victory over Doncic to their long list of accomplishments against some of the most talented countries in the world.
