Poland Crashes Luka Doncic’s EuroBasket Party, Spoils Record Night in Stunning Upset

The team knew Luka Doncic was the primary scorer and proceeded to harass him. They bumped him whenever there was a chance, boxed him out with all their might, and a player even used his shoulder to push the Slovenian superstar away.

Upsetting his rhythm was crucial, and Poland ultimately achieved their goal by winning the game 105-95. What surprised everyone was how they collectively managed to do that against a record-setting performance from the Lakers star.

Luka Doncic sets EuroBasket record

Push and shove all they want, but Poland knew they would face a motivated Luka Doncic in their EuroBasket opener. From the first few seconds, the 26-year-old was on the attack.

He resorted to his usual array of step-back jumpers, fadeaways, and slow-roll layups to keep his Slovenian national team in the hunt for the win. Ultimately, they could not, but Doncic displayed his full array of skills.

No matter what the Polish players threw at him, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar got what he wanted. When they sent double teams, he slithered his way to the rim. Once he saw they had closed the space to his right, he surveyed the floor and changed his plan of attack.

He was in full superstar mode as the Lakers’ top brass, new owner Mark Walter, minority stakeholder Jeanie Buss, and GM Rob Pelinka were watching from the stands.

They witnessed their franchise cornerstone play 36 minutes in the game and end up with a stat line of 34 points, 4 rebounds, and 9 assists, an example of another all-round game.

Even though it did not translate into a win, the Lakers’ owners and GM should be impressed with the way Doncic moved around on the court. But what should impress them the most was his defense.

Luka Doncic impresses on defense

Other than his conditioning, Luka Doncic has faced question marks about his defense. His lackluster approach was very evident in the 2024 NBA Finals, and the same carried into last season.

Once he was with the Los Angeles Lakers, head coach and former teammate JJ Redick drove home the point that everyone had to defend if they were to win.

Thankfully, for them, the 5-time All-NBA 1st teamer listened and contributed. However, there were some concerns about whether he would return to his bad habits with his national team.

The Lakers sent one of their assistant coaches to be a part of the Slovenian coaching staff. All in the hope that it would help their 2025-26 campaign. It is not certain if Greg St. Jean had an impact, but Doncic played like he was on a mission.

The 6′ 6″ star used his length, improved mobility, and awareness to slow the Poles. He racked up 5 steals and 2 blocks in this game, proving that when his mind is in it, he can defend. The Lakers should be impressed with what he did.