In an exciting EuroBasket 2025 quarterfinal in Riga, Latvia, Slovenia’s Luka Dončić scored an impressive 39 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Germany, who secured a 99-91 victory on Wednesday. Despite Dončić’s heroics, Germany’s balanced team performance proved decisive, with Orlando Magic guard Franz Wagner contributing 23 points and captain Dennis Schröder adding 20 points and seven assists. With this win, Germany advances to face Finland in the semifinals on Friday.
A turning point in the game came early in the fourth quarter when Germany’s Andreas Obst hit a three-pointer that capped a 12-0 run, giving the World Cup champions a 77-74 lead. Slovenia briefly regained control at 86-85, thanks to a Dončić three-pointer with just over four minutes remaining. However, Schröder sank his only three-pointer of the game — missing eight other attempts — to push Germany ahead 88-86. From that point, Germany maintained their lead and closed out the match.
Dončić, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, had a challenging game despite his scoring. He received a technical foul early and scored 22 points by halftime while Slovenia led 51-45. He picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter, forcing him to play cautiously to avoid fouling out. Nevertheless, he continued to contribute, finishing with 39 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, marking his fifth game in the tournament with at least 30 points. He shot 5-of-16 from beyond the arc.
For Germany, Franz Wagner was outstanding from the free-throw line, hitting 13 of 14 attempts. The team now looks to claim its second European Championship title, the first being in 1993. Slovenia seemed to control the game until Tristan Da Silva sank a half-court three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer, cutting their lead to just four points. The EuroBasket final is scheduled for Sunday in Riga, which has hosted all the knockout matches.
Earlier in the day, Finland secured their first-ever EuroBasket semifinal spot by defeating Georgia 93-79. Mikael Jantunen led Finland with 19 points, while Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen added 17 points and six rebounds. Jantunen praised the team’s close-knit culture, saying the squad felt like playing with long-time friends. Finland’s bench also made a significant impact, scoring 44 points compared to only four from Georgia’s substitutes. Finland had built a 20-point lead by the third quarter, but Georgia reduced the deficit to six points with under eight minutes left. Toronto Raptors forward Sandro Mamukelashvili led Georgia with 22 points.
Finland started the game strong, doubling Georgia 30-15 early in the second quarter with sharp three-point shooting. Young forward Miikka Muurinen, just 18 years old and projected as a potential NBA first-round pick in 2027, contributed seven points off the bench. This was Georgia’s first quarterfinal appearance as an independent nation, having previously defeated Olympic silver medalist France in the round of 16 and defending EuroBasket champion Spain during the group stage.
In the remaining EuroBasket semifinal, Greece will face Turkey on Friday. Greece defeated Lithuania 87-76, with Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring 29 points. Turkey maintained their unbeaten run with a 91-77 victory over Poland, highlighted by a triple-double performance from Alperen Sengun. These results set up an exciting semifinal lineup as Germany faces Finland and Greece meets Turkey, with all eyes on Riga for the upcoming showdown.