Luka Doncic did everything in his power to try and lead Slovenia to a win at EuroBasket, and came up short.
Through three weeks of warm-up games, it became clear that the new-look Luka Doncic had his work cut out with Slovenia.
Their final exhibition game was a 34-point margin defeat to Serbia, showing exactly how far behind they were.
Luka Doncic stepped his performance up a notch in Slovenia’s EuroBasket opener against Poland, but it was not enough.
Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty ImagesHow Luka Doncic fared vs Poland
The NBA star had promised a much improved performance from his team, and while they can be pleased with their scoring, it still was not enough.
Poland won the high-scoring game 105-95, despite Luka Doncic scoring the most points of any player on the court.
Luka Doncic contributed 34 points, also registering 4 rebounds and 9 assists. He shot 7-14 from the field.
Edo Muric was the next highest scorer for Slovenia with 17 points.
Doncic also had five steals and two blocks, trying to do his bit defensively despite the loss. Sofascore graded Doncic’s performance 9.5/10.
It does not get any easier, with Slovenia facing France next up, where they will be heavy underdogs despite Doncic’s brilliance.
Doncic, Slovenia vs PolandLA Lakers chiefs watch on
Luka Doncic had some support from courtside with LA Lakers president Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka present.
Buss had told Slovenian radio in the buildup to the game that she wanted Doncic to know he had the full support from the Lakers franchise.
Pelinka also stated he was not concerned with Doncic playing EuroBasket games, despite his recent injury scare.
It likely won’t be long until Doncic’s Slovenia are eliminated at the group stage, and he returns to LA to prepare for the 2025-26 NBA season.