By Cesare Milanti/ info@eurohoops.net
Latvia, Riga – Slovenia has booked its place in the 2025 EuroBasket quarterfinals.
Luka Dončić carried Aleksandar Sekulić’s team to an 84–77 victory over Italy, scoring 42 points.
In the first quarter, the basket seemed huge for Luka, as if he was playing alone out there. Possession after possession, he found answers for the Italian defense and ways to score. After just 10 minutes, Dončić already had 20 points, and Slovenia was up 29–11.
But Italy didn’t back down. Luka couldn’t keep up the same scoring pace, yet he continued to create magic while the Azzurri gradually grew into the game, especially on defense.
With 1:53 left, Simone Fontecchio’s three-pointer cut the gap to just one — 78–77 for Slovenia.
Still, it was inevitable that Luka would have the last word. He calmly knocked down four straight free throws, pushed the lead to 82–77, and sealed Slovenia’s win.
Luka shot 11/19 from the field (5/11 from beyond the arc) and an incredible 15/16 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed 10 rebounds, recorded three steals, and despite dishing out just one assist, Doncic once again delivered a historic performance to lead Slovenia to victory and a clash against Germany in the 2025 EuroBasket Quarterfinals.
Doncic recorded his second 40-point game at the EuroBasket, becoming only the fifth player in competition history with multiple such performances, after Nikos Galis (6), Doron Jamchi (2), Lauri Markkanen (2), and Eddy Terrace (2).
In addition, Luka is just the third player over the last 30 years to post 40+ points and 10+ rebounds in a EuroBasket game, joining Dirk Nowitzki (43 points, 15 rebounds vs Spain in 2001) and Pau Gasol (40 points, 11 rebounds vs France in 2015).
On the other side, Italy fought hard, with Simone Fontecchio scoring 22 points and Saliou Niang emerging as an X-factor in Gianmarco Pozzecco’s fourth-quarter comeback attempt, finishing with 12 points.
In what was the last game of the 2025 EuroBasket — and his final appearance in an Azzurri jersey — Danilo Gallinari contributed 10 points and three rebounds.