It is hard to stop Luka Doncic in North America or Europe. The Slovenian guard’s most recent EuroBasket 2022 outing against France saw him drop 47 points.
Although scoring 47 points in the NBA is terrific, Doncic accomplished it while playing under considerably more difficult FIBA standards. The star player for the Dallas Mavericks was only on the bench for one minute, sixteen seconds. He tore France apart amidst stitches and blood.
Slovenia won 88-82 thanks to Doncic’s exploits. His exceptional performance allowed Slovenia to win the group, and now, they’ll play Belgium in the opening round of the knockout round.
In what was the best scoring display in EuroBasket in the last 65 years, Doncic shattered Slovenia’s scoring record. He made 15 of 23 shots, including 6 of 11 from long range. Additionally, Doncic made 11 of his 12 free throw tries.
Slovenia got a much-needed victory as a defeat would have thrown them to a third-place finish in the group and facing a far tougher opponent in the first round of the knockout round.
The defending EuroBasket champions Slovenia have a great opportunity to retain their title, provided Doncic stays fit. It won’t be easy, with opponents like Greece and Serbia equal tournament favourites, but Canadian sports betting sites will be providing exclusive betting markets throughout the EuroBasket tournament.
Even Rudy Gobert, a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year could not stop Luka Doncic once he got into the rhythm. Even with time running down, Doncic made a sprinting one-legged 3-pointer over the French defense’s rock.
The fact that Luka Doncic’s teammates scored a combined 41 points is another evidence of how outstanding he was. Doncic not only scored a lot, but he also pulled down seven rebounds, had five assists, and had a steal.
Luka Doncic is currently ranked second in EuroBasket scoring
With 26.6 points, Luka Doncic has the third-best average score at EuroBasket 2022. Greece Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the competition with 31 points.
Doncic is now second in the EuroBasket rankings for most points in a single game after his 47-point outburst against France. Belgium’s Eddy Terrace currently holds the EuroBasket record after scoring 63 points in 1957.
Doncic overtook Greek player Nikos Galis, who scored 46 points in one game in 1983, on his way to becoming the second highest scorer.
Slovenia has only lost one game to bitter rivals Bosnia and Herzegovina during the competition, going down 97-93. Doncic scored only 16 points during the match.
Slovenia is among the favorites to win, but the knockout rounds will be challenging. They might face the Serbia of Nikola Jokic and the Greece of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The world reacts to Doncic
Manu Ginobili, a future Hall of Fame guard and former San Antonio Spurs player, commended Doncic for his performance. “Seriously, Luka? 47 and a win against a team like France? Unreal!”
Even current NBA players witnessed Luka’s masterclass. Bogdan Bogdanovic, who will not be playing in EuroBasket 2022 due to injury, even made fun of the competition’s quality.
The major basketball social media platforms complimented Luka, and leagues agreed that the Slovenian sensation was deserving of such acclaim.
The effort that propelled Doncic into second place on the all-time single-game scoring list in EuroBasket history was highlighted by the Dallas Mavericks, Bleacher Report, ESPN, the NBA, Overtime, SLAM, and several other publications.