PIRAEUS, Greece —Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic attempted to guide the Slovenian national team to an Olympic bid. However, on Saturday, the team lost 93-65 against Greece in the Olympic qualifier at Peace and Friendship Stadium. Doncic ended his performance with 21 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, checking out early with Slovenia being down by a significant margin without enough time to achieve a comeback.
"First of all, congrats to Greece... They started very aggressive. I think they have an amazing team," Doncic said. "Obviously, they have Giannis, but other pieces are very important for them, too. And they're very, very close. So congrats to them. They outplayed us today."
Giannis Antetokounmpo made a significant impact, but not only his impact but his supporting cast proved too significant for Slovenia to handle within this matchup. With Greece's frontcourt size in abundance, the goal was to pack the paint, make it as challenging as possible for Doncic to attack downhill, and create advantages for teammates. Greece did mix it up in ball screen coverage by having Antetokounmpo guard Josh Nebo at times and switch when guarding pick-and-roll while shrinking the floor.
Antetokounmpo scored the first five points of the game by exploiting his size advantage against Josh Nebo, who stands at 6-foot-7. Nick Calathos played out of pick-and-roll for a few finger rolls to continue Greece's momentum, establishing a 9-0 lead to start entering the game's first timeout. Antetokounmpo scored again by attacking Vlatko Cancar in the post by going baseline before throwing down an emphatic dunk. A turnover from Slovenia resulted in a layup for Greece, making it a 13-0 start for the host.
“Well, first, they have Giannis, and he is a lot, but then other players like Calathes and Walkup organize the team very well," Doncic said. "Papagiannis is there, Papanikolaou, and they are a very experienced team. They all know how to play basketball and are very well-coached by coach Spanoulis. They are a great team, and I wish them all the luck."
Doncic finally ended Slovenia's scoring drought by getting to the rim out of pick-and-roll for a scoop finish, but Greece continued to dominate the game early, leading 15-2. Slovenia began to settle into the game using a 12-7 run to make it a single-figure game, highlighted by finishes from Nebo and a few made three-pointers from floor spacers.
Greece more than weathered Slovenia's first counter-punch of the game by closing the opening period by going on a 12-2 run, including a buzzer-beater from deep to close the frame. Greece was up 32-14 and established a strong position to manage the game. As Slovenia needed to build momentum, a turnover led to an emphatic, breakaway dunk for Antetokounmpo, causing the Peace and Friendship Stadium crowd to erupt. It began a series of technical fouls for Slovenia, first by Zoran Dragic, followed by head coach Aleksander Sekulic. Greece led 42-19 at this point.
Doncic got a step-back 3-pointer, then after an initial failed lob connection with Nebo, the two connected on the next trip down the floor for a dunk. Slovenia entered a timeout with 4:54 left before halftime, down 42-24. The closest Slovenia came before the break was 14 points after Doncic hit another step-back three-pointer, which held until halftime with Greece leading 47-33.
Slovenia mixed it up late in the second quarter in a few ways, including giving minutes to Luka Scuka on the wing. Also, similar to late in the victory over New Zealand, Doncic began be deployed as a screener to open up advantages for a teammate to create. This time, he screened in double drag for Aleksej Nikolic to attack.
Greece opened the second half with a 6-0 run, but Doncic snapped that with a step-back from deep against Antetokounmpo's contest. Greece and Doncic began to go shot for shot from deep after he knocked down a catch-and-shoot look in response to a make by the opponent. However, Greece continued to double Doncic and get enough stops to maintain a comfortable advantage.
Despite heavy defensive pressure, Doncic continued to be aggressive, using a step-back from deep before the end of the third quarter to reduce Greece's lead to 66-50. To this point, Doncic had already made his fifth shot from beyond the arc, totaling 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
A 16-3 run for Greece to open the final period rebuilt the team's lead to a 29-point margin, entering a timeout called by Slovenia. A combination of missed shots, turnovers, and an outright inability to contain Greece from beyond the arc proved too much to overcome. He checked out of the game to a loud ovation from Slovenian fans with over four minutes left in regulation.
Doncic now enters the offseason with Slovenia eliminated from contention for an Olympic bid. He will have until late September to prepare for the 2024-25 NBA season.
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