Luka Doncic delivered an impressive performance once again at the Mall of Asia Arena, entertaining 11,003 fans.
However, despite his high-scoring game, Slovenia lacked the energy to secure a victory against Lithuania in the Classification Games 5-8.
The final score was 100-84, which propelled Jonas Valanciunas and his team into a match against Latvia for the fifth spot, setting up an all-Baltic showdown. Meanwhile, Slovenia is slated to face Italy in the seventh-place game.
Jonas Valanciunas achieved his 8th double-double in FIBA Basketball World Cup history, closing in on the leader of the past 30 years, Jose Ortiz, who has 10 double-doubles.
Valanciunas contributed 24 points and 12 rebounds, and if he participates in the fifth-place game, he could potentially enter the top 5 in World Cup history for rebounding.
He requires just five more rebounds to surpass Pau Gasol and claim the fifth spot.
Although Lithuania and Latvia had hoped for a Final matchup, they will now compete for fifth place, promising one of the most electrifying atmospheres ever witnessed in Manila.
A special mention goes to Vaidas Kariniauskas, who distributed 10 assists without scoring a single point. The only other player to accomplish this feat in the last 30 years was Marcelo Milanesio for Argentina in 1994.
Slovenia received 29 points from Luka Doncic, but his shooting performance was subpar, going 7-of-21 from the field. He also contributed 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists.
Check out Jonas Valanciunas’ TCL Player Of The Game highlights during the Lithuania and Slovenia game at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023:
