The Dallas Mavericks’ training camp won’t start for another six weeks, but star player Luka Doncic is still developing before he can take the reins of the squad.
As they are ready to defend their EuroBasket championship and increase their prospects of making the 2019 World Cup, the 23-year-old is in charge of his nation’s national basketball squad.
Slovenia won two World Cup qualification games this summer in large part because to Doncic. He spent some time away from the national squad before returning only lately.
Slovenia began preparing for the upcoming schedule with a friendly match against Turkey on Friday afternoon.
At Constantinople, Slovenia defeated Turkey 104-103 in overtime while Doncic played to the best of his ability.
Goran Dragic saved Slovenia when Luka left the game early as the Turkish national team pulled off a spectacular comeback to force extra on their own court.
Dončić Scoring Binge Tied Him For The Second Most Points Ever In Olympic
Ed Palubinskas of Australia scored 48 points for the Olympics in 1976, and Doncic’s scoring spree tied him for the second-most points ever in a game there.
Had the game not been so lopsided, Doncic likely would have surpassed Oscar Schmidt of Brazil’s single-game record of 55 points.
In a gesture of kindness, Doncic took a seat on the bench in the fourth quarter with Slovenia leading by 26 points.
Doncic stated, “I don’t care about the records. “We came here for a win, and we got one,” someone said.
Oe of the game’s brightest prospects, Doncic, 22, finished sixth in the voting for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award this season after placing fourth the previous year.
He has slowly worked to elevate Slovenia into the international basketball debate.
Conclusion
The globe won’t soon forget Luka Doncic’s Olympic debut against Argentina as he led his native Slovenia to a resounding 118-100 victory.
With 48 points in his first Olympian contest, Doncic moved into second position all-time at the Games. On stage, no one has accrued more points than Oscar Schmidt (55 points, 1998).
The Dallas Mavericks superstar, who dazzled with his step-back threes and strategic drives, scored 31 of those 48 points in the first half alone.
He also produced many absurd passes (5 assists), dominated the boards (11 rebounds), and had aggressive hands on defence (3 blocks).
