LJUBLJANA (Slovenia) - There were some nerves as the entire Slovenian nation waited for Luka Doncic to announce if he's going to play for the national team this summer. Once he said yes, some wondered if his body is ready for another quick hit tournament after a long NBA season.
Well, one game in, we already have all the answers. He's back, he's fit, he's dominant, and Slovenia picked up a 86-80 win over Brazil in their last preparation game ahead of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Greece.
The Story of the Game
Brazil were off to a better start, taking advantage of the tension in the air as the local crowd in Ljubljana filled the stands to watch their heroes. But in the second quarter, Luka Doncic decided it was time to take over, leading the charge which saw Slovenia score 29 points and take control of the game.
Brazil weren't going away that easily, closing the gap to 62-61 ahead of the final ten minutes. They were still close at 67-65, but Doncic had a fadeaway two-pointer, followed by a free throw, followed by a three-pointer, a personal 6-0 run which pointed Slovenia towards a double digit advantage heading into the last five minutes of the game.
Gregor Hrovat and Aleksej Nikolic continued the run and the lead ballooned to +13 with less than four minutes to play. More than enough to preserve the win.
The Player of the Game
In Slovenia, they probably call the four seasons fall, winter, spring and Luka-time. Another summer, another chance for their superstar to get the new generations to fall in love with the sport.
Even though it was only a preparation game, Doncic spent 32 minutes on the floor, finishing with 32 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, committing just a single turnover against a sturdy Brazilian defense.
Another day at the office for the unreal 25-year-old. And a huge warning sign to Croatia, New Zealand, Greece, the Dominican Republic and Egypt, the other teams drawn into the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Greece.
The Stats of the Game
Save a moment for coach Aleksander Sekulic. With Doncic getting all the praise and running the offense, not a lot of recognition goes out to Slovenia's defense, but coach Sekulic created a monster of a team on that end, too.
Slovenia forced 21 Brazilian turnovers, stealing the ball nine times, winning the points from turnovers 18-9.
Coach Aleksandar Petrovic won't be too disappointed with Brazil's effort, though. His team won the bench points 37-17, showing once again they have one of their deepest generations ever.
The Takeaways from the Game
Slovenia got a timely boost from Doncic just a couple of days before flying to Greece, and it's beginning to look all too familiar, with strong vibes of the summer of 2021, when they upset the hosts in Lithuania and went on to reach the Semi-Finals at the Olympics.
Josh Nebo's ability to adapt to his new homeland should also get a mention, he had a highly efficient game with 10 points and 4 rebounds, and Slovenia were a +17 team in his 28 minutes of work.
Brazil, meanwhile, played another game without Yago dos Santos. However, ballhandling is hardly a problem with this team, even when Marcelinho Huertas plays just 22 minutes (8 points, 6 assists), or when Raul Neto spends just five minutes on the court, because Georginho De Paula can also run that offense, finishing with 10 assists in 20 minutes of action.
Coach Petrovic will now take his team to Latvia, where Brazil are in Group B, next to Cameroon and Montenegro. If they advance to the Semi-Finals, they would face Georgia, Latvia or the Philippines.
FIBA