By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
After recording a historic triple-double against Belgium, Luka Dončić came close to another one against Israel, falling just one assist short.
Still, the Los Angeles Lakers star led Slovenia to a crucial 106-96 victory over Israel, a result that sends France to the top of Group D, while Slovenia finished third and Israel has to settle for the fourth spot.
Dončić finished the game with 37 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, shooting 8/10 on two-pointers, 4/11 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 9/9 from the free-throw line.
Slovenia looks sharper as the tournament goes on, dishing out 28 assists against Israel – the team’s highest total in a EuroBasket game in the last 30 years.
Alongside Luka Dončić’s dominant performance, Aleksej Nikolić added 16 points, Rok Radović scored 14, while Alen Omić posted another double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Gregor Hrovat also came close with 10 points and seven assists.
On the other side, Deni Avdija shone again for Israel with 34 points and nine rebounds. He was joined by Roman Sorkin, who had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Yam Madar, who finished with 10 points and eight assists.
In the last game of Group D, Belgium beat the hosts, Poland, 70-69, with Emmanuel Lecomte scoring 19 points; however, before the tip-off, the Polish team had already secured the second spot of the final standings, having beaten both Slovenia and Israel, while Belgium was disqualified no matter what.
Photo credit: FIBA