There was little room for error for Luka Doncic and Slovenia after dropping their first two group stage games at FIBA EuroBasket 2025. But now after picking up their second consecutive win, they have officially clinched their spot in the round of 16.
The Los Angeles Lakers star actually had his worst outing of the tournament, struggling with foul trouble in the first half, but still finished with 26 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals as Slovenia defeated Iceland, 87-79. The win gives Slovenia six points in Group D and guarantees them a spot in the knockout stage.
Things were a bit dicey early on for Slovenia as Doncic played just 14 minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, and struggled with his shot when on the court. Luka knocked down just 3-of-10 from the floor, missing all four of his 3-point attempts and had just nine points at the half while Slovenia held on to just a one-point lead over an Iceland team that has yet to pick up a victory at EuroBasket.
But Doncic and Slovenia would turn things up in the third quarter as they outscored Iceland 24-to-11 with the superstar pouring in 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers to push out to a big lead, which they would then hold on to down the stretch against a relentless Iceland squad.
Luka Doncic carrying his Slovenia 🇸🇮 to the Round of 16 🫡#EuroBasket pic.twitter.com/FIGwrrrKEB
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 2, 2025
Slovenia also got a strong performance from Aleksej Nikolic, who added 17 points and five assists in the victory. Iceland was led by Martin Hermannsson, who finished with 22 points and six assists but also had seven of Iceland’s 20 turnovers, a key issue in their loss as Doncic and Slovenia turned the ball over just eight times.
The most important thing is that Slovenia has locked in their spot in the round of 16 and anything can happen once those knockout stage games begin. So far, Slovenia is one of 12 teams to have clinched their spot and all four spots from Group D have been decided with Israel, Poland and France also qualifying from the group.
What’s next for Luka Doncic and Slovenia
Luka Doncic and Slovenia will return to the court on Thursday at 8 a.m. PT when they take on Israel, who is led by Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija. This is their final group stage game in what is an important contest for both sides. A win for Slovenia could push them into a second-place finish in the group and a potentially easier draw in the round of 16 while a loss could drop them down and force a meeting with a tournament favorite such as Serbia, led by Nikola Jokic, or Germany, led by Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroder.
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