First Half Luka Magic, Second Half Injury Scare

August 17, 2025 at 8:47 am

From the above article:

Luka Dončić’s second game of Slovenia’s EuroBasket prep campaign, just eight days after his summer debut in Ljubljana, was everything a Slovenia or Lakers fan could hope for. After a couple of months away from basketball to focus on his body, Dončić looked hungry for the game — playful, fully locked in, and dominant. The first half showed exactly why even prep games can be so fun to watch, with a packed Xiaomi Arēna in Riga in for a show as the Slovenian superstar went head-to-head with local hero and former teammate Kristaps Porzingis.

Then, just three minutes into the second half, came a scare. On one of the drives, Latvian point guard Kristers Zoriks pushed off his backpedaling defender Gregor Horvat, who lost his balance and crashed into Dončić as he was fighting for position under the basket. Dončić fell awkwardly, twisted his knee, and immediately asked out of the game, but managed to stand and walk off slightly hobbled to the locker room. Dončić, who later returned to the Slovenian bench and chatted with his father Saša, sat out the rest of the game, a 100–88 Latvia victory.

At the time of writing, there was no official announcement on Dončić’s injury. Early reports, however, were positive, saying he avoided anything serious and is expected to keep leading Slovenia’s EuroBasket campaign.

His status should be clearer soon, with Slovenia set to face Great Britain on Tuesday in front of the home crowd at Stožice Arena in Ljubljana, before closing prep play on August 21 in Belgrade against Nikola Jokić and European powerhouse Serbia.

EDIT: Slovenian Basketball Association just announced Dončić avoided injury and will rejoin team practice tomorrow.

The Belgrade Arena is already sold out, with the Serbian basketball federation president claiming a Dončić–Jokić showdown could sell 100,000 tickets. Just another glimpse of how much basketball with your country’s flag on your chest means to both players and fans in this part of the world.

Slovenia opens EuroBasket Group D play in 11 days, on August 28 in Katowice, against one of the hosts, Poland.

A 26-point first half explosion that felt like NBA basketball in August

I can fully relate to my new Lakers readers, just as I did to Mavericks fans over the past six years, on why every awkward fall from Dončić in national team play feels so stressful. However, Dončić’s loyalty to his national team is the same quality that made him beloved in Dallas, the same unconditional commitment he now shows the Lakers, and the same reason his summer contract extension came without any drama. It’s Dončić’s love for playing competitive basketball that makes him special, and last night showed just how much he missed it after his NBA season ended too early in late April.

Slovenia came into the matchup against Latvia still searching for confidence, having dropped their first three prep games. The team is in the middle of a generational shift, and tension flared when Zoran Dragić — brother of local legend Goran — was cut from the roster just days earlier. You could sense Dončić’s intent to put those distractions aside right from the start. He opened the game with guns loaded, reminiscent of some of his wild NBA scoring bursts that have made him one of the league’s best first-quarter performers in recent seasons.

Despite the stakes being totally different, last night’s first half brought back memories of Dončić’s 2024 Western Conference Semifinals Game 5 closeout of the Timberwolves — the night he drained any comeback hope and prompted Anthony Edwards’ hilarious line, “Luka had other intentions.”

Like in that game in Minneapolis, once Dončić drained his first step-back three, he slipped into a zone. The next was a pull-up from just a couple of feet inside half court — the kind of shot usually reserved for warmups, or for Lakers assistant (and current Slovenia staff member) Greg St. Jean building chest muscle. The arc on his threes looked incredibly smooth, as did the touch on his through-contact floaters. He even buried one from beyond the arc after unsuccessfully trying to draw a foul. The leaner Dončić looked quicker on his drives. Still, his ability to break down a defender off the dribble and get to the rim is harder to evaluate in a FIBA setup, where teams are allowed to pack the paint, especially with all the help and double-teams Latvia threw at him after his first-quarter explosion.

Along with the absurd passes we’re used to seeing from him, Dončić was active defensively as well, finishing with two steals and a block, one of the many highlights of the first half.

In his two Slovenia appearances so far this summer, Dončić has scored 45 points in 44 minutes — nearly a 37-point per-game pace when translated to a per-36-minute format comparable to his NBA workload. Dončić has hit 8 of his 17 threes, 47 percent, another encouraging sign Slovenians hope carries into EuroBasket and Lakers fans hope continues in training camp come October.

What comes next for Luka and Slovenia?

Slovenia dropped its fourth straight prep game and is now 0-4, with all four losses coming by double digits. Without Vlatko Čančar and naturalized big man Josh Nebo, it’s clear this team lacks the high-end NBA or Euroleague talent, size and athleticism that Europe’s top contenders such as Serbia, France, and Germany possess. For this Slovenian team, simply advancing out of the group stage would be a success, with any win in the knockout rounds coming as an underdog surprise.

I’ve seen fans, and even some U.S. media, suggest that Dončić should shut down his EuroBasket campaign after the injury scare and focus on the upcoming Lakers season. I’d be very surprised to see that happen. In fact, I wouldn’t be shocked if he does everything possible to play in the last prep game against his buddy Nikola Jokić in Belgrade. Love it or hate it, that’s just how number 77 is wired.

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LakerTom says

August 17, 2025 at 8:47 am

From the above article:

Luka Dončić’s second game of Slovenia’s EuroBasket prep campaign, just eight days after his summer debut in Ljubljana, was everything a Slovenia or Lakers fan could hope for. After a couple of months away from basketball to focus on his body, Dončić looked hungry for the game — playful, fully locked in, and dominant. The first half showed exactly why even prep games can be so fun to watch, with a packed Xiaomi Arēna in Riga in for a show as the Slovenian superstar went head-to-head with local hero and former teammate Kristaps Porzingis.

Then, just three minutes into the second half, came a scare. On one of the drives, Latvian point guard Kristers Zoriks pushed off his backpedaling defender Gregor Horvat, who lost his balance and crashed into Dončić as he was fighting for position under the basket. Dončić fell awkwardly, twisted his knee, and immediately asked out of the game, but managed to stand and walk off slightly hobbled to the locker room. Dončić, who later returned to the Slovenian bench and chatted with his father Saša, sat out the rest of the game, a 100–88 Latvia victory.

At the time of writing, there was no official announcement on Dončić’s injury. Early reports, however, were positive, saying he avoided anything serious and is expected to keep leading Slovenia’s EuroBasket campaign.

His status should be clearer soon, with Slovenia set to face Great Britain on Tuesday in front of the home crowd at Stožice Arena in Ljubljana, before closing prep play on August 21 in Belgrade against Nikola Jokić and European powerhouse Serbia.

EDIT: Slovenian Basketball Association just announced Dončić avoided injury and will rejoin team practice tomorrow.

The Belgrade Arena is already sold out, with the Serbian basketball federation president claiming a Dončić–Jokić showdown could sell 100,000 tickets. Just another glimpse of how much basketball with your country’s flag on your chest means to both players and fans in this part of the world.

Slovenia opens EuroBasket Group D play in 11 days, on August 28 in Katowice, against one of the hosts, Poland.

A 26-point first half explosion that felt like NBA basketball in August

I can fully relate to my new Lakers readers, just as I did to Mavericks fans over the past six years, on why every awkward fall from Dončić in national team play feels so stressful. However, Dončić’s loyalty to his national team is the same quality that made him beloved in Dallas, the same unconditional commitment he now shows the Lakers, and the same reason his summer contract extension came without any drama. It’s Dončić’s love for playing competitive basketball that makes him special, and last night showed just how much he missed it after his NBA season ended too early in late April.

Slovenia came into the matchup against Latvia still searching for confidence, having dropped their first three prep games. The team is in the middle of a generational shift, and tension flared when Zoran Dragić — brother of local legend Goran — was cut from the roster just days earlier. You could sense Dončić’s intent to put those distractions aside right from the start. He opened the game with guns loaded, reminiscent of some of his wild NBA scoring bursts that have made him one of the league’s best first-quarter performers in recent seasons.

Despite the stakes being totally different, last night’s first half brought back memories of Dončić’s 2024 Western Conference Semifinals Game 5 closeout of the Timberwolves — the night he drained any comeback hope and prompted Anthony Edwards’ hilarious line, “Luka had other intentions.”

Like in that game in Minneapolis, once Dončić drained his first step-back three, he slipped into a zone. The next was a pull-up from just a couple of feet inside half court — the kind of shot usually reserved for warmups, or for Lakers assistant (and current Slovenia staff member) Greg St. Jean building chest muscle. The arc on his threes looked incredibly smooth, as did the touch on his through-contact floaters. He even buried one from beyond the arc after unsuccessfully trying to draw a foul. The leaner Dončić looked quicker on his drives. Still, his ability to break down a defender off the dribble and get to the rim is harder to evaluate in a FIBA setup, where teams are allowed to pack the paint, especially with all the help and double-teams Latvia threw at him after his first-quarter explosion.

Along with the absurd passes we’re used to seeing from him, Dončić was active defensively as well, finishing with two steals and a block, one of the many highlights of the first half.

In his two Slovenia appearances so far this summer, Dončić has scored 45 points in 44 minutes — nearly a 37-point per-game pace when translated to a per-36-minute format comparable to his NBA workload. Dončić has hit 8 of his 17 threes, 47 percent, another encouraging sign Slovenians hope carries into EuroBasket and Lakers fans hope continues in training camp come October.

What comes next for Luka and Slovenia?

Slovenia dropped its fourth straight prep game and is now 0-4, with all four losses coming by double digits. Without Vlatko Čančar and naturalized big man Josh Nebo, it’s clear this team lacks the high-end NBA or Euroleague talent, size and athleticism that Europe’s top contenders such as Serbia, France, and Germany possess. For this Slovenian team, simply advancing out of the group stage would be a success, with any win in the knockout rounds coming as an underdog surprise.

I’ve seen fans, and even some U.S. media, suggest that Dončić should shut down his EuroBasket campaign after the injury scare and focus on the upcoming Lakers season. I’d be very surprised to see that happen. In fact, I wouldn’t be shocked if he does everything possible to play in the last prep game against his buddy Nikola Jokić in Belgrade. Love it or hate it, that’s just how number 77 is wired.

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