Slovenia Coach Applauds Luka Doncic After Rare EuroBasket Triple-Double
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Luka Doncic delivered the fifth triple-double in EuroBasket history on Sunday, lifting Slovenia to its first victory of the 2025 tournament and prompting high praise from head coach Aleksander Sekulic.
The Los Angeles Lakers guard finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a 98-79 win over Belgium at Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland, on Aug. 31. The performance followed scoring efforts of 34 and 39 points in Slovenia’s previous two Group D games.
“That’s what Luka does,” Sekulic said. “What impresses me is the way he approached this game… he was locked in from the first to last minute. That shows his greatness, not only the stats, but his mindset.”
Sunday’s result moved Slovenia to 1-2 in group play. The top four of the six Group D teams advance to the knockout stage, leaving Slovenia little margin after consecutive losses to open the competition.
Return to Competition
The tournament marks Doncic’s first games since the Lakers’ first-round NBA playoff exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 26-year-old arrived noticeably leaner and has looked quicker through three EuroBasket outings.
Earlier Flashpoint Against France
Doncic was involved in a contentious finish during Slovenia’s loss to France earlier in the week. With France ahead by double digits and the final seconds winding down, French guard Sylvain Francisco appeared to accept Doncic’s handshake before racing to the basket for a last-second layup. Francisco later apologized, citing point differential—which serves as a tiebreaker in group play—as the reason for taking the shot.
Slovenia continues Group D play later this week with qualification for the knockout rounds still uncertain.
Source: Lakers Nation
