After taking part in 92 video games between the common season and playoffs, Dallas Maverick star Luka Dončić will get some further time to relaxation this summer season after his Slovenian group was knocked out of Olympic rivalry after a blowout loss to Greece, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Dončić completed with a game-high 21 factors to go together with 7 rebounds and 5 assists, however Greece coasted to a 96-68 victory thanks partially to 13 factors and 4 rebounds from Antetokounmpo, who performed dominant protection all through his 20 minutes of motion. Thomas Walkup led Greece in scoring with 19 factors.
Dončić performed a game-high 34 minutes, whereas Antetokounmpo rested a lot of the second half.
Luka revving up the engines 🔋#FIBAOQT x @kzs_si 🇸🇮
📺 https://t.co/CqnNzbX9wb💻 https://t.co/7XnyzSmcc1 pic.twitter.com/b1WJm0Tqvn
— FIBA (@FIBA) July 6, 2024
The semifinal spherical victory boosts Greece to Sunday’s remaining of the Olympic qualifying match hosted in Piraeus, Greece. They’ll face the winner of the Dominican Republic versus Croatia contest.
The failure to qualify marks a serious step again for Slovenia, who completed fourth on the 2020 Olympics. That look was the nation’s first Olympic berth and Dončić starred all through, being chosen to the match All-Star Staff.
Greece hasn’t certified for the Olympics since 2008. Regardless of not but reaching the Olympics, Antetokounmpo has performed with the Greece nationwide group extensively, together with on the 2014 and 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup tournaments, the 2016 Olympic qualifying match and the 2015 and 2022 EuroBasket tournaments.
A lot wanted relaxation for Dončić
Dončić’s season, lastly, has ended. To him, what should have appeared like a endless procession of basketball video games that led him to the NBA Finals and now Olympic qualifiers has lastly concluded in disappointment. As a result of his group’s lengthy postseason run, he has hardly stopped taking part in since final October.
Dončić’s Slovenia was merely not on the identical stage because the Antetokounmpo-led Greece nationwide squad in Saturday’s do-or-die likelihood at making it to subsequent month’s Paris Olympics. Dončić did his half, however he nonetheless appeared encumbered by the various illnesses that he carried with him all through the Mavericks’ postseason run.
For Dončić, this results of course solely accommodates disappointment. However after struggling a knee sprain three months in the past, within the first spherical of the NBA postseason, he has been visibly hampered — some video games greater than others — and has stated he received’t be one hundred pc till he takes time to relaxation this summer season. That course of, lastly, can now start. Whereas Dallas would by no means cease him from taking part in for the nationwide group, the group should a minimum of be relieved that Dončić’s summer season, such that it’s, has lastly actually begun. — Tim Cato, Mavericks beat author
Olympic stage can be enormous for Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo is now one step nearer to representing his nation within the Olympics. Greece has a proud basketball custom. They’ve received the Eurobasket competitors twice (1987, 2005) and completed second within the FIBA World Cup in 2006, a contest the place they beat the USA within the semifinals. Greece has appeared within the males’s basketball match in 4 Olympics (1952, 1996, 2004, 2008) and completed in fifth place of their final three appearances, however this could be the primary Olympics look for Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks famous person ahead has often appeared for his nationwide group all through his NBA profession and it clearly means quite a bit to him, so showing within the Olympics can be an actual milestone for him. — Eric Nehm, Bucks beat author
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(Photograph by Aris Messinis / AFP through Getty Pictures)
