Luka Doncic was once again masterful as he scored 39 points in the quarterfinals of the EuroBasket on Wednesday. But his effort was not enough, with Slovenia suffering a tough loss to Germany, 99-91.
Slovenia started hot, outscoring Germany, 32-21, in the opening quarter, with Doncic scattering 10 points. But Die Mannschaft buckled down on defense in the second period to close the gap at halftime, 51-45.
Germany, the reigning champion of the FIBA World Cup, continued its aggressiveness in the second half and eventually completed the come-from-behind win to advance to the semifinals.
It was a harsh reality check for Slovenia, which was booted out in the quarterfinals for the second straight edition of the EuroBasket. After their bitter defeat, Doncic's teammates didn't hide their disappointment but also tipped their hats to the squad, as quoted by FIBA.
“We were better throughout the game, or at least 37, 38 minutes. It hurts, but I am very, very proud of this team,” said Klemen Prepelic.
“I’m proud of these guys. If I could bring all 12 of the guys here (to the press conference) and give them a standing ovation, I would. What they did this summer and in this championship, against probably the best team in this competition, and to outplay them throughout the whole game, that’s big. Unfortunately, we were not successful, but I think we can leave this championship with our heads up,” echoed Aleksander Sekulic.
Doncic did everything he could to carry Slovenia once again, but Germany proved to be too much. He shot 11-of-25 from the field, including 5-of-16 from three-point distance. The Los Angeles Lakers star added 10 rebounds and seven assists.
The 26-year-old guard was coming off a 42-point effort against Italy in the Round of 16.
Franz Wagner led Germany with 23 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Dennis Schroder backed him up with 20 points, three rebounds, and seven assists, while Danie Theis chipped in 15 markers and nine boards. They will face Finland in the semifinals.
While Slovenia fell short of the goal, Doncic will return to the Lakers with more experience playing against top-level competition.
