Photo: FIBA

In the aftermath of Slovenia’s narrow defeat to Poland, head coach Alexander Sekulic acknowledged that the hosts of Group D had simply played better on the night, but he also hinted at some “strange things” that shifted the momentum at a crucial point of the game.

Specifically, the strategist was referring to the technical fouls issued to his bench and to star player Luka Doncic at the start of the third quarter.

Those calls, coming at a pivotal moment, allowed Poland to build a significant lead that Slovenia struggled to overcome. Without directly criticizing the referees, Sekulic made it clear he felt the game’s key turning point had not gone in his team’s favor.

“They played an amazing game, made really tough shots, even some players that are not considered great shooters. I think the key moment of the game was in the third quarter when some strange things happened on the court and we got the short end of it. We lost the momentum; they got away by 12, 13 points, maybe 15. We came back, but like I said, they had a great shooting night. I can’t say anything bad about my team; they fought hard, they put their heart on the court, but today it wasn’t enough,” he reflected.

Forward Edo Muric echoed his coach’s sentiments while highlighting the energy Poland brought to the opening game in front of their home crowd.

“We watched a very good game, this was the opener for Poland, and everybody knows how it is to play at home. They made some tough shots, and that got them fired. I think we fought until the end, so I am proud of my guys; we didn’t give up, and our opponents probably had their best game. Our group is tough and we have to focus in order to qualify,” Muric said.

Looking ahead, Slovenia faces a crucial matchup against France, a team that defeated them in the semifinals at the Tokyo Olympics. When asked about the upcoming clash, Sekulic noted that past encounters could not define the present challenge.

“Recently, everyone asks me about the past, past games against Poland and against France. They are a new team, it’s going to be an interesting game, I think they are the favorite of the group. The way they are playing so far, the whole prep period. We have to figure out how to compete in such a game,” he explained, emphasizing the need to focus on France’s current form rather than historical results.

For Slovenia, the loss to Poland was a tough start in Group D, but both coach and players stressed resilience and preparation as the keys to bouncing back in the next rounds of the tournament.