Luka Dončić leads Slovenia to the EuroBasket quarterfinals
The Lakers star, Luka Dončić, proved his worth once again by scoring 42 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, leading Slovenia to a crucial victory over Italy with a score of 84-77. This triumph secures their place in the EuroBasket tournament quarterfinals, where they will face the German national team, the current world champions. Slovenia’s dominance was evident from the first quarter, where they achieved a significant lead of 29-11. Dončić, in particular, shone by reaching 30 points before halftime, marking the fourth time in this tournament that he has surpassed that figure in a single game. Despite Dončić’s outstanding performance, Italy did not give up easily and staged an impressive comeback, getting within just one point of Slovenia with two minutes to go. However, Dončić’s coolness and precision from the free-throw line, where he scored both shots, sealed his team’s victory, surpassing 40 points and securing the win.Georgia surprises and advances to the quarterfinals
In another exciting match, Georgia achieved a resounding victory over France with a score of 80-70, securing their place in the quarterfinals for the first time in their history. The celebration of the Georgia players at the end of the match was a reflection of their historic feat, demonstrating the emotion and support of their fans present in Riga, Latvia.France, runner-up in 2022, failed to repeat its success and was eliminated at this stage of the tournament. Georgia will now face Finland in the next phase. The low three-point shooting percentage of France (6 of 36) was a key factor in their defeat, while Georgia, with 10 of 18, took advantage of the opportunities and punished France at the free throw line, scoring 20 of 24. Tornike Shengelia was a key figure for Georgia, with 24 points and 8 rebounds, along with Kamar Baldwin, who also scored 24 points.“Incredible. I am very happy, congratulations to my teammates, to everyone, to all our fans in Georgia and here,” commented Giorgi Shermadini, Georgian veteran. “France is incredible, but today we played better in defense and offense.”
Giorgi Shermadini
Sylvain Francisco led France with 14 points, while Guerschon Yabusele and Zaccharie Risacher failed to shine as expected. France lamented the absence of key players such as Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, and Evan Fournier.“We never stop fighting, believing,” said Shengelia. “I want to thank the people who came to Riga to support us. We felt the extra energy.”
Tornike Shengelia
