Despite putting up a valiant effort, Venezuela fell short against Slovenia with a final score of 100-85 in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 opener. The game took place at the Okinawa Arena, witnessed by an appreciative crowd on Saturday night.
Luka Doncic proved to be a formidable opponent, making an impactful World Cup debut by contributing an impressive 37 points, shooting at an impressive 61 percent from the field. Additionally, he secured 7 rebounds and delivered 6 assists.
“We followed a great deal our game plan,” said Fernando Duro, Head Coach of Venezuela. “Still, Doncic scored – he basically scores against the whole world. And, Mike Tobey was 100-percent from the field, scoring 3-for-4 from behind the arc.
“We chose our options and we followed the game plan, we executed well, but in order for us to win this kind of ball games, we need to execute in an excellent way. We couldn’t.”
Watch the game highlights between Slovenia and Venezuela in the First Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023:
