Slovenia defeated Germany, 94-70, as Luka Doncic’s near triple double of 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists guided the European country to victory. Luka made 8 of 18 field goals, 2 of 7 three-pointers, and 2 of 2 free throws.
With 27 points on 11 of 13 shooting and 5 of 7 three-point shooting, Zoran Dragic led all scorers. Mike Tobey had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
In a game where Germany struggled to score, no one else scored in double figures. As a team, Germany was only 12 of 38 (32 percent) out of three.
Maodo Lo led Germany in scoring with 11 points, followed by Niels Giffey with 10.
Slovenia’s dominance on the boards continued, as Tobey and Luka are a difficult pair to keep off the boards, especially when backed up by a frenzied effort from their smaller teammates. They also made 15 of 35 (43 percent) three-pointers.
Slovenia got off to a strong start and built an early lead, leading 25-14 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Germany went on an 18-6 run to seize the lead. Slovenia took the lead for the first time on the next possession, thanks to a Tobey jumper, and never trailed thereafter.
The game was highly physical on both sides, despite the fact that each team only shot 13 free throws. Slovenia advances to the semifinals with the win, where they will face the winner of France vs. Italy.
If Slovenia wins that game, they will be guaranteed a place in the finals and a Gold or Silver medal. If they lose, they will play in the bronze medal game, which they must win to win the bronze medal. In any case, Slovenia only needs one more victory to secure a medal.
Doncic has already appeared in 17 international games. Slovenia has a 17-0 record in those matches. His team won the 2017 European tournament and all four qualification games to qualify for the Olympics, where they are already 4-0.
They were 14-point favorites going into the quarterfinals against Germany, and their status was well-deserved, as it turned out.
“He’s not coming here to show off,” said Slovenian coach Aleksander Sekulic to reporters in Japan.
“He’s coming here to help the team. He came here to have fun on the court, have fun with the guys and we are here to use him as much as possible, to use his magic,” Sekulic added.
In their first three pool games, Slovenia had averaged 110 points per game.