LUKA Doncic poured in 39 points, but Slovenia fell to 0-2 at EuroBasket 2025 after bowing to France, 103-95, on Saturday (Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, PH time) in Katowice, Poland.
The Los Angeles Lakers star did everything to keep Slovenia afloat — making 19 of 20 free throws, grabbing eight rebounds, and dishing nine assists.
The performance also pushed him past 1,000 career points in international play for his country. But for the second straight game, it wasn’t enough. Two days earlier, Doncic dropped 34 in a loss to co-host Poland.
France, meanwhile, showcased its depth. Point guard Sylvain Francisco came off the bench for 32 points, fueling a second unit that combined for 78 points against just 26 from Slovenia’s reserves.
The Washington Wizards duo of Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr added 25, while Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks chipped in 12. France improved to 2-0 in Group D.
Poland also stayed perfect, edging Israel 66-64 in a thriller. Jordan Loyd scored 27 points, including 10 of Poland’s last 13 and a clutch putback with 13 seconds left. Israel’s Deni Avdija answered with 23 points, but his side slipped to 1-1.
In the same group, Belgium stormed back from a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Iceland 71-64, evening its record at 1-1. Iceland fell to 0-2.
Jokic powers Serbia
In Group A, Nikola Jokic delivered a masterclass with 39 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in Serbia’s 84-80 win over co-host Latvia.
The Denver Nuggets star sealed the game at the line and surpassed his previous national team high of 32 points. Serbia moved to 3-0, booking a knockout phase spot with two games to spare. Latvia slipped to 1-2.
Turkey joined Serbia at 3-0 after routing Portugal 95-54, with Alperen Sengun scoring all 20 of his points in the first half. Estonia (1-2) downed Czechia (0-3) 89-75.
World champion Germany (3-0) secured progression with a 107-88 win over Lithuania. Dennis Schröder had 26 points and six assists, Franz Wagner added 24, and Daniel Theis scored 23. Germany hit 19-of-35 from deep at 54 percent. Schröder, who drained five triples, shrugged off racist abuse from two fans who were ejected.
Co-host Finland also advanced at 3-0 as Lauri Markkanen scored 26 in an 85-65 victory over Montenegro. A day earlier, he had torched Britain for 43. Sweden (1-2) notched its first win, 78-59, over winless Britain, behind 23 points from Pelle Larsson.
Resting Giannis Antetokounmpo after his 31-point show against Italy, Greece still dominated Cyprus 96-69. Tyler Dorsey and Konstantinos Mitoglou paced the Greeks with 18 each.
Spain (1-1) bounced back as Santi Aldama led with 19 in an 88-67 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina (1-1). Simone Fontecchio scored 14 in Italy’s 78-62 triumph over Georgia, leaving both at 1-1. / From the wires