After a sub-par round-of-16 game, Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic came up big huge in crunch time to lead Slovenia to a thrilling win over Latvia. The victory allowed the Slovenians to punch its ticket into the EuroBasket Semi-Finals for the first time since 2009.
Dragic on Dracarys mode
Slovenia, one of the two teams still with a perfect EuroBasket 2017 record, started hot in the opening period behind 13 points by star point guard Goran Dragic. The man NBA fans call “The Dragon” scored also handed three assists to help the Slovenians set the tone of their Quarter-Final match against Latvia.
Dragic, the tournament’s leading scorer during the preliminary rounds, was held to five points in Slovenia’s round-of-16 victory against Ukraine. However, the fire in the Slovenian captain’s eye was back as he finished the game with 26 points, including a driving layup that all but iced the game.
Dragic also had eight assists and six rebounds. Dragic got ample support from his teammates including the former NBA player Anthony Randolph who added 16 points and nine boards for Slovenia.
EuroBasket 2017 is Luka Doncic's coming out party
The 18-year-old Luka Doncic is a highly-touted NBA prospect. In this year’s EuroBasket, Doncic performed exceeded everyone’s expectations. While Slovenia has a number of players with NBA experience like Dragic and Randolph, Doncic has been the most consistent player on Slovenia's roster.
Luka Doncic, currently playing for Real Madrid, is averaging 15.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists for Slovenia. The versatile guard scored a team-high 27 points against Latvia on 7-14 shooting.
Doncic also grabbed nine boards while committing only one turnover in 36 minutes of court time. Doncic seemed to thrive in pressure-packed situations and the Quarter-Final game against Latvia wasn’t any different.
Doncic hit a number of clutch three-pointers over Latvia that seemed to prove that the young combo-guard isn’t afraid of the big stage. According to Dragic, Doncic is the best player in his age-group. “He’s only 18 years of age but he plays with such calmness,” Dragic said after the game.
Latvia almost turned the game around behind Kristaps Porzingis
Another rising star shone brightly in the EuroBasket 2017. Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks averaged 23.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for Latvia throughout the tournament.
Against Slovenia, Porzingis scored a tournament-high 34 points despite playing in foul trouble throughout the game. Porzingis scored 16 of his 34 points in the final period to help Latvia cut Slovenia’s 13-point lead to two with two minutes remaining.
What’s next for Slovenia?
Slovenia will face fellow unbeaten team Spain in the EuroBasket 2017 Semi-Finals at the Sinan Erdem Arena in Istanbul on September 15. Spain defeated a resurgent Germany team, 84-72, in their Quarter-final match.
