The Lakeshow Review

Lakers star Luka Dončić notched yet another dominant performance in EuroBasket 2025, as he and Slovenia defeated Israel earlier today to cap off group stage play. Slovenia had already secured a berth in the Round of 16 during their last victory against Iceland. So technically, today’s contest against Israel was not of the must-win type. With the victory, however, Slovenia afford themselves slightly better seeding than they would have had they lost today’s game. It also brings their record to a respectable 3-2, following an 0-2 start, which suggested whispers of a potential early exit for the Slovenians.

Dončić was outstanding today, playing perhaps his best game of the tournament so far. The Slovenian forward finished the game with 37 points, 11 boards, 9 dishes, 3 steals and a block. He also committed 7 turnovers. Luka once again showcased his all-around brilliance, tallying game-highs in points, rebounds and assists. He was also quite efficient today, shooting 12 for 21, including 4-11 from downtown. The latter is still not the most ideal figure, but Luka did in fact show improvement today hitting the three, doing so more assertively. Luka got off to his customary hot start, hitting on a couple of his patented stepback threes early on. He was the catalyst behind Slovenia’s offense in the early goings, as he finished the first half with 24 points, six rebounds and six assists, while helping his side open up a double-digit lead before the break. He was once again masterful on the pick and roll, where despite constant hard hedges and traps, he consistently found the right angles to sneak pinpoint-dimes to the roll man. Slovenia’s pick and roll plays have definitely looked a bit more dynamic as of late, compared to what they were doing to start the tournament. They even incorporated some double drag action for Luka in transition, which he used to dice Israel’s defense for plenty of early offense chances. Their pick setting was also aggressive and effective, often confusing Israel by switching up screen angles.

Today, Luka’s rhythm was on point, as he knew precisely when to be aggressive with the ball or when to create for his teammates, completely dictating the pulse of the game. Israel are no slouches either, as they’ve also secured a trip to the Round of 16. They’re also led by talented NBA player Deni Avdija, who finished with a team-high 34 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals. He had a good back and forth going with Luka, with Luka ultimately besting him as Slovenia came together to play maybe their best game of the group stage round.

Slovenia received some sizeable support from their supporting cast today. Guard Aleksej Nikolic contributed 16 points and seven assists. Rok Radovic (14 points), Gregor Hrovat (10 points, seven assists) and Allen Omic (10 points, 11 boards) all reached double figures in scoring, rounding out a well-balanced offensive attack for Slovenia. Additionally, they collected 28 assists on their 37 made baskets (shooting a robust 54.4% from the court), showing vast improvements with their complimentary playmaking, outside of Dončić. This is precisely the type of effort that Slovenia will need in order to hang with the better teams in the Round of 16. They played a complete team game today, and in doing so, looked quite legitimate. We need to see more of this all-around effort if Slovenia wishes to advance deep in EuroBasket 2025. Luka played great, but so did his teammates. It was their ability to lead a multi-pronged offensive attack that made Slovenia looked perhaps their best yet in the tournament.

Luka continues to excel in FIBA competition, and that’s a great thing to see for us Lakers fans. He’s been the best player in the tournament so far. Granted, he’s had plenty more responsibilities thrusted on his shoulders, compared to the likes of Giannis or Jokic, as Luka is clearly the engine of his team. They go as far as he takes them, and they don’t seem to have the talent to feature any ‘co-stars’. Today, however, they were able to find a balanced scoring output as a unit. They played aggressive and purposefully, giving Luka all the help he needed, in addition to his own brilliant play. This is a good recipe for Slovenia. If they can play like this, with Luka dominating, they can make some noise later in the tournament. Also encouraging was the fact that Luka seemed to get hot towards the end, and wasn’t bothered by fatigue, making three of his four three-pointers in the fourth quarter. It remains to be seen whether this type of inspired play can continue as the competition gradually gets tighter. But so far, they’ve managed to rebound, after a weak start, to finally look the part of a legitimate player in this tournament. Slovenia’s next opponent is yet to be determined, as they will kickstart the Round of 16 later this weekend. At least they go in with some momentum, and knowing Luka’s competitive spirit, he’ll want both his team and himself to be even better going forward. Let’s hope they continue to show up and show out, and ultimately make some noise in EuroBasket 2025. Until then, Go Lakers and Go Slovenia.