There is nothing a team leader values more than their squad stepping up when the opponent’s attention is centered on them.
Luka Doncic praised his teammates for taking the leap in Slovenia’s 91-80 victory over Australia in the FIBA World Cup on Friday at the Okinawa Arena in Japan.
The Australian defense held the Dallas Mavericks superstar to 4-of-9 (44%) shooting from the field and limited him to nine of his 19 points from the free-throw line.
“I had two guys on me in every possession. But I think that’s great. That’s how we got all the open looks… we shared the ball; it was amazing to watch, so I’m really proud of this team,” Doncic said in the post-game interview.
(c) FIBA.basketball
Among the notable players who powered Junaki to victory was Mike Tobey, who recorded a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds, shooting an efficient 8-of-10 (80%) from the field. He was the leading scorer for Slovenia before Doncic took over in the second half.
Doncic also committed three fouls at the eight-minute mark of the second quarter, putting him in foul trouble early on. However, that did not hinder the Slovenian squad from maintaining their winning position in the match.
“I trust my teammates… like I said, they (Australia) were double-teaming me in every possession, and everybody made the right play, so we stayed together, and I think we’re a great team,” Doncic explained.
The win qualified Slovenia for the quarterfinals, and they will face fellow undefeated Germany on Sunday at the same venue.
“(They’re) a great team (Germany). They won four games like we did… obviously, the leader is Dennis Schroder… so tonight, we’ll sleep, not think about the game, but tomorrow, we’ll prepare more,” Doncic concluded. (Jose Gabriel Ignacio)
