Germany ended Slovenia’s EuroBasket 2025 run with a 99-91 quarterfinal victory in Riga, Latvia, despite Luka Doncic delivering a record-setting performance. The Los Angeles Lakers star scored 39 points, the highest total ever in a EuroBasket quarterfinal, but admitted afterward that he came up short in decisive moments.
“I’m angry, 100 percent angry,” Dončić told the Slovenian media via Meridian Sports. “I could have done more in the last quarter, I forced shots, I could have done better in key moments, I didn’t make the right decisions.”
Slovenia opened strong, racing to a 32-21 lead after the first quarter and maintaining a 51-45 edge at halftime. Doncic picked up his fourth foul early in the third but stayed on the floor as his team pushed ahead 73-64. Germany clawed back with a late run capped by Tristan Da Silva’s half-court buzzer beater, trimming the margin to 74-70 entering the final period.
Momentum swung decisively in the fourth quarter. Germany knocked down consecutive threes to seize control at 82-77, then held Slovenia to only two points across nearly three minutes. The reigning world champions sealed the win by converting free throws down the stretch.
Franz Wagner led Germany with 23 points and seven rebounds, while Dennis Schröder posted 20 points and seven assists. Daniel Theis added 15 points and nine boards in a balanced effort.
Doncic posted 39 points on 11-of-25 shooting, along with 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Klemen Prepelic chipped in 13 points off the bench and Gregor Hrovat added 11, but no other Slovenian reached double figures. The team struggled from deep, hitting just 9-of-39 from three-point range.
Despite the loss, Doncic praised his teammates’ fight. “We are fighting for Slovenia, for the jersey, we all give 100%,” he said. “Kudos to everyone, we could have been on vacation, but we fought for every ball, we gave our all.”
He declined to comment further on officiating after being whistled for a fourth foul in the third quarter and receiving an early technical. “I don’t want to talk about the referees,” he added.
The defeat marked Slovenia’s second straight quarterfinal elimination after falling to Poland in 2022. Germany, still unbeaten, will now face Finland in the semifinals with a place in Sunday’s final at stake.
For Doncic, who averaged 34.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 7.1 assists across seven games, the early exit does not erase a historic individual performance.
