Even though Slovenia suffered a 103-95 defeat to France, complete with high tension in the closing seconds, Luka Doncic insisted that his team had shown enough to believe in their chances of advancing further in the competition.
After opening EuroBasket with two straight losses, Slovenia now faces a crucial stretch. With upcoming matchups against Belgium, Israel, and Iceland, the path to recovery is still open.
A 3-2 record in Group D could be enough to secure third place and a ticket to the Round of 16, keeping their hopes alive.
Doncic expressed that mindset clearly after the game.
“The goal is to get out of the group. In both matches so far, we have given our all, we are really giving our all. We are here to represent Slovenia and try to win and we will continue to fight. I think we have proven that we can do it, all the guys fought, really all credit to everyone. We win and lose as a team. I made a lot of mistakes today and I know that I can be much better. The analysis will be important and that we prepare as well as possible.”
The Lakers star also spoke about the physical challenge of the schedule, responding with a dose of sarcasm when asked about how he felt. “I feel great, wonderful. We have a match tomorrow at 14.00, so we will have to do a lot to recover properly,” Doncic said with a smile.
Reflecting on the loss to France, Doncic emphasized the effort while also pointing out the moments that slipped away.
“We really fought, in the end we gave up a little in the last two or three minutes, but we gave it our all. France is really not an easy opponent, I told the guys that too, and we have to continue at that pace. We prepared well for the game, Francisco shot 1/23 in the warm-up games, now he has scored 30 points. Our opponents have an average of 105 points, which is too much. Now it’s important to keep winning, nothing else matters.”
He also took the chance to highlight the contribution of Slovenia’s bench, recognizing their energy and fight.
“The boys did a good job, everyone who stepped on the court gave their all. Like I said, France is a great team, unfortunately we lost, but we now have to learn something from this defeat. I know that sometimes I lose my temper, but I try to help the team. I do all this out of good will, no one wants anything bad and I think we are getting better every day.”
Finally, Doncic addressed the small confrontation at the buzzer following Sylvain Francisco’s last-second layup, which caused tempers to flare. “We shook hands at the end, the difference in points can be important at the end, but we shook hands. I didn’t think he would finish the play,” Doncic explained.
For Slovenia, the loss was painful, but Doncic’s words made clear that belief remains intact. The coming days will decide whether their fighting spirit can turn into survival in Group D.
Luka Doncic: "I think we have proven that we can do it" 🦾
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) August 30, 2025
Slovenia aims for three wins in the next three games #Eurobasket https://t.co/RxTywVq6Ei
