Slovenia hands Germany first loss at FIBA Eurobasket 2022

Reigning champs Slovenia handed Germany their first loss at the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 with a decisive 88-80 victory.

In late August, Slovenia lost to that same Germany 90-71 in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers and comes off a loss Sunday against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the FIBA Eurobasket 2022.

In yesterday’s game against Germany, Luka Doncic took Slovenia on his broad shoulders and carried them home in Superman style.

Turning Point: Slovenia began to take control late in the first quarter and built a 14-point lead of 31-17, and the gap was 44-36 at the break. The Slovenian side scored eight straight points spanning the final two quarters for a double-digit lead of 66-55. Germany fought to within five points only to have Doncic make enough plays to keep Germany at bay. The final seconds were marked by German captain Dennis Schroder being ejected from the game after an unsportsmanlike foul with 10 seconds to play.

TCL Player of the Game: Luka Doncic was in superhero form as he collected 36 points on 14-of-25 shots to go with ten rebounds and four assists. The 36 points were the best tally for a Slovenian in a EuroBasket game, topping the previous mark of 35 from Goran Dragic in the 2017 Final against Serbia.

 Stats Don’t Lie: Slovenia held Germany to just 39 percent shooting and made 61 percent from two-point range. The Balkan nation also scored 38 points in the paint compared to 18 for Germany.

Bottom Line: The standings in the group will be decided on the final game day, and Slovenia faces a major test against France, who are also 3-1. Germany, meanwhile, looks to rebound and travel to Berlin on a high note as they face already-eliminated and winless Hungary.