By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Riga, Latvia – Slovenia led 74–67 in the final seconds of the third quarter, when da Silva drained a half-court shot at the buzzer to cut the deficit to four.
That triple sparked a 10–0 German run to turn the game around. Luka Dončić kept Slovenia in contention and even restored a brief lead with four minutes remaining, but Germany ultimately prevailed 99-91 to advance to the EuroBasket 2025 semifinals.
Luka Dončić finished the quarterfinal clash with 39 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, despite picking up his fourth personal foul with nearly eight minutes remaining in the third quarter. Luka’s 39 points are the most ever by anyone in a EuroBasket quarter-final game.
As for Germany, the usual suspects led the way: Franz Wagner scored 23 points with seven rebounds, while Dennis Schröder added 20 points and seven assists.
“It was a very tough game, but we came here to win. Luka is an amazing player. We could have guarded a little bit better than we did, but it’s tough sometimes,” Orlando’s forward said after the game.
Daniel Theis also played a big role with 15 points, coming just one rebound shy of a double-double. Maodo Lo chipped in 11, and Andreas Obst had 10, with both knocking down crucial three-pointers in the fourth quarter.
Luka and Slovenia are packing their bags despite the LA Lakers star’s heroics, while Germany is set to face Finland in the 2025 EuroBasket semifinals. This is Germany’s first time with back-to-back semi-finals at the EuroBasket.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIBA