Germany Advances to EuroBasket Semifinals, Defeating Slovenia Despite Doncic‘s 39 Points
Riga, Latvia - September 14, 2022 – Germany overcame a stellar 39-point performance by Luka Dončić to eliminate Slovenia 88-85 in the EuroBasket quarterfinals on Wednesday. The victory sends Germany to the semifinals, seeking their second EuroCup title after winning as hosts in 1993.
Dončić, of the Los Angeles Lakers, scored 22 points in the first half, but also received a technical foul early in the game and played cautiously in the second half while battling foul trouble, ultimately committing his fourth foul at the start of the third quarter. He finished with 10 rebounds and seven assists, shooting 5-of-16 from three-point range. This marked his fifth tournament game with at least 30 points.
Franz Wagner led Germany, converting 13 of 14 free throws.A late third-quarter triple by Tristan Da Silva on the buzzer narrowed Slovenia’s lead to just four points, setting the stage for a tight finish.
The final will be played on Sunday in Riga, where all elimination-round matches have been held.
In Wednesday’s earlier quarterfinal, Finland defeated Georgia 93-79 to reach the semifinals for the first time. Mikael Jantunen led Finland with 19 points, while Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz contributed 17 points and six rebounds. Sandro Mamukelashvili of the Toronto Raptors led Georgia with 22 points.
Finland had previously upset Serbia, led by Nikola Jokic, in the tournament. The team showcased its depth with 44 points coming from the bench.
