Even though Slovenia had already locked up a spot in the knockout stage of FIBA EuroBasket 2025, their final group stage game against Israel was important as it could give them a better draw in the round of 16. It also featured a big time duel between two of the best players in the tournament in Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic and Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija.
But for as good as Avdija was in this contest, Doncic was just too dominant and wouldn’t be denied.
The Lakers star continued his excellent play at EuroBasket with arguably his best game of the tournament, finishing with 37 points on 12-of-21 from the field, 11 rebounds, nine assists and three steals as Slovenia took down Israel 106-96 to end group stage play with three straight wins.
Things started off rough for Slovenia as they dropped games to Poland and France to begin the tournament, but now they seem to have rounded into form at the right time. They shot 54.4% from the field as a team and had 28 assists on their 37 made field goals.
In addition to another ridiculous Doncic performance, Slovenia also got strong outings from Aleksej Nikolic who had 16 points and seven assists, as well as a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds from Alen Omic.
Luka vs. Deni. A showdown worthy of the last day in Katowice. 😮💨
📊 Luka Doncic: 37 PTS | 11 REB | 9 AST
📊 Deni Avdija: 34 PTS | 9 REB | 4 3PM#EuroBasket pic.twitter.com/UjkPEFZ2w0— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 4, 2025
Avdija did everything he could to try and match Luka as he finished with 34 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals, but it just wasn’t quite enough. However, they did already qualify for the round of 16 prior to this game so they will still advance in this tournament.
It looked as if Slovenia had this game in the bag as they led by 13 at the half with Doncic pouring in 24 points, six rebounds and six assists in the first half. They still held a 14 point lead going into the fourth quarter, but Luka once again dealt with foul trouble and Israel was able to slice into the lead, cutting it to as low as five.
But once the Lakers superstar returned to the court he took over, pushing the Slovenian lead back up to double-digits and icing the game with a step-back 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 14 with around two minutes left.
What’s next for Luka Doncic and Slovenia
Luka Doncic and Slovenia have qualified for the knockout phase of the tournament and their round of 16 game will take place this weekend, though their opponent has yet to be determined.
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