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Mavericks' Luka Doncic Shines in Slovenia's Victory Over Brazil in Exhibition Match

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Grant Afseth | Last updated Jun 28, 2024 4:01 PM ET

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic competed in his first match with the Slovenian national team, helping guide the team to an 86-78 victory. He totaled 32 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in roughly 32 minutes. After this match, the team will continue preparation for the pre-Olympic qualifier tournament held in Piraeus, Greece, from July 2 to 7.

Slovenia struggled to control the paint early on, with Christian Felicio, a center who previously played six seasons with the Chicago Bulls, scored 8 points early. Brazil held a double figure lead at one point, but Doncic begun to settle Slovenia into the game. At the end of the opening period, Brazil held an 18-12 advantage.

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Before Doncic went to the bench, Slovenia had rallied to cut the deficit to just 26-24. He was in a rythm by this point, using a one-legged jumper and a flashy layup that involved him switching hands before a scoop finish. He totaled 13 points, four rebounds, and four assists at this point.

Slovenia continued the momentum it had established despite Doncic being on the bench. At one point, the team achieved a 36-30 advantage, with jump shots beginning to fall at a high rate. After this lead was established, Doncic checked back into the game. Doncic guided the team down the stretch to a 41-37 advantage entering halftime. He already scored 15 points after using a one-legged jumper down the stretch.

Doncic's squad built a 48-37 edge at one point. Not only did he get his first three-point attempt of the game to fall on a step-back jumper, but he was aggressive in attacking the paint, resulting in a contact finish for an and-one. He then commanded significant defensive attention from Brazil, freeing up a lob to Josh Nebo for a dunk.

With Slovenia coming up empty offensively for a stretch, Brazil cut Slovenia's advantage to 62-61 using a buzzer-beating turnaround jumper to end the third quarter. After being up by as many as 11 points earlier in the frame, Slovenia was engaged in a tightly contested matchup to close it out.

A missed dunk by Nebo on a lob pass from Doncic led to a transition finish for Brazil, making it a single-possession game. Doncic responded by posting up a smaller defender and attacking the middle for a floater while drawing contact, creating an and-one, but he missed the free throw. Doncic got the free throw line again and split the attempts, then hit a step-back 3-pointer later. Slovenia had built a 73-66 advantage midway through the final period.

Nebo displayed a growing connection with Doncic by holding a Gortat screen after Doncic had snaked into the gap, allowing the superstar guard to control his pace and finish. He reached 31 points on the night despite it being his first performance since Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Boston.

Slovenia's edge grew to as many as 13 points after Doncic pushed the pace in transition, resulting in a next pass to a corner three-point shooter before the make. Brazil had cut the lead to eight points at one point. Doncic received MVP chants from the home crowd as he made the second of two free throw attempts. He went to the bench with under two minutes left in regulation.

Slovenia played its final preparation match before the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece. The team will face Croatia on July 2 followed by New Zealand on July 4 in the Group Phase.