The final exhibition contest for Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic and Slovenia before the start of FIBA EuroBasket kicks off was meant to be a real test against tournament favorite Serbia, led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Unfortunately, things did not go well for Doncic and his squad.
The Lakers star finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists, but Slovenia was blown out by Serbia, 106-72. As has been the case throughout these exhibitions, Luka got off to a strong start with 11 first quarter points and Slovenia was still within striking distance, trailing by 10 after one. But things fell off the rails in the second quarter and Serbia pulled ahead by 28 at the half, showcasing their dominance.
Doncic again struggled from deep, knocking down just 2-of-10 from 3-point range, though he did get to the free throw line nine times, making seven. It was a difficult outing as Serbia did everything in their power to get the ball out of Luka’s hands, double-teaming him nearly every possession and trying to force someone else to beat them. It worked out well as Slovenia just had no answers to the superior side.
It was actually Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic that led Serbia in this game with 18 points and seven rebounds while Los Angeles Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic added 14 points. Jokic didn’t have to exert himself too much as he finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists as Serbia finished their exhibition schedule undefeated while Doncic and Slovenia won just one game.
This contest certainly solidified Serbia’s place as tournament favorite with another dominant performance while Doncic and Slovenia will have to figure out a strategy to combat teams loading up on the Lakers star as Serbia did if they want to make it out of group play and have a deep run in the tournament.
Slovenia is part of Group D with another tournament favorite in France, who won the silver medal in the 2024 Olympics, but won’t have San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama participating. Iceland, Poland, Belgium and Israel are the other countries making up Group D.
What’s next for Luka Doncic and Slovenia
The exhibition season is done and Luka Doncic and Slovenia will officially kick off group play at EuroBasket 2025 on Aug. 28 when they take on Poland. They will then have a day off before a back-to-back against France and Belgium on Aug. 30 and 31.
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