Slovenia fail in gallant effort against Germany
Luka Doncic fought through foul trouble to keep Slovenia in the fight against Germany. In the end, Franz Wagner, Dennis Schroder and company got the job done to advance at EuroBasket 2025. Emmet Ryan looked beyond the result and the controversy to observe the bloody mindedness of Slovenia’s protagonist.
At the weekend, I referred to Luka Doncic as the John Wick of EuroBasket 2025. Following an epic battle with a deep Germany roster, led by Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroder, a different tale comes to mind. Yes, the fouls had an impact, but Doncic’s fight will not be forgotten quickly.
A different kind of warrior
In Irish mythology, the greatest warrior was Cú Chulainn. In his last stand, the entire army of Connacht went up against him, essentially alone save for some light support. Cú Chulainn was so formidable that no single warrior would be foolish enough to challenge him alone. Yet going into this fight, he had a few things going against him.
Through curses and bad luck, the strength of Cú Chulainn was reduced heading into the fight. Yet he found a way and dozens, then hundreds, fell by his hand. Watching Luka Doncic in Riga on Wednesday, it was easy to see the similarity.
Luka’s start was rough. Within 3 minutes, he picked up 2 fouls including a technical. He was getting plenty of unwanted contact and looked off his game. Then he wasn’t and Germany remembered what they were up against. The Slovenians surged and made a side, featuring Franz Wagner, Dennis Schroder, and a loaded supporting cast, feel every blow. EuroBasket 2025 had a real fight.
About those numbers
Cú Chulainn’s last stand saw him meet wave after wave of Queen Medb’s forces. The whole war was over a bull incidentally. The advantage was that they could keep sending those fresh waves to wear down Cú Chulainn. He’d keep slaying but every fresh wave made him that little bit weaker.
Slovenia led by as much as 13 early in the second quarter. Nobody was fooled into thinking they were in control. The only way they were going to eliminate Germany at EuroBasket 2025 was continuing to push out hard. Luka Doncic had to keep racking up points at superhuman rates.
He did but Franz Wagner pecked away from the foul line. Andreas Obst and Isaac Bonga did their bit inside and out, while Dennis Schroder kept the tempo strong. With Doncic picking up a third foul, one that looked awfully soft, before the half was out, the capacity of Doncic to keep up the fight was in doubt. Yet there was back-up.
BallinEurope is ramping up its YouTube game this season. Subscribe to our channel now for player exclusives, analysis videos, and much more.
A better supporting cast
Slovenia’s other guys had stepped up defensively in the win over Italy. In this game, they realised more than that was needed. Rok Radovic brought energy while Aleksej Nikolic, Gregor Hrovat, and, most notably, Klemen Prepelic were providing real offensive support to Luka Doncic. By the midway point in his fight, Cú Chulainn had nowhere near that kind of help.
Unfortunately for Doncic, he had one big disadvantage in this EuroBasket 2025 clash. No referee was going to keep Cú Chulainn away from the field of battle. When he grew too weak to stand, he held himself up against a great rock. When Luka picked up his 4th foul, this time an offensive one, he opted to stay on the floor.
There was still 17.17 left in the game at that stage and Slovenia merely led by 6 points. They were about as vulnerable as could be. Their greatest warrior was hampered and time was on the side of every fresh wave Germany sent their way. Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner didn’t even have to do the heavy lifting to inflict damage. Johannes Thiemann and Daniel Theis ran inside with near free reign. It felt inevitable.
BallinEurope has a book, a real life actual book called I Like it Loud, and you can buy it on Amazon now. It’s here as a book and here in Kindle form.
He didn’t hear no bell
A heave on the buzzer by Tristan da Silva felt like the signal. Tristan struck again as Luka Doncic sat. Maodo Lo tied it up and Andreas Obst gave Germany the lead from deep. This was not the ending a warrior deserved. He wanted to be back in the fray to fight. The forces of Connacht were so in awe of Cú Chulainn that they waited until a raven sat upon his shoulder and pecked his lifeless body before accepting they had beaten him.
Doncic returned. His side in their time of need, their leader knew he had to balance bravery with caution. Franz Wagner dared Doncic to foul out as he galloped towards him on the fast break. Luka got out of the way but Wagner’s over enthusiasm resulted in a miss anyway.
Whatever way he could, Luka kept fighting. Through the smallest gaps he got shots to fall to keep Slovenia in touch. Germany’s lowest winning margin at EuroBasket 2025 prior to this game was 27. Doncic and his merry band were holding them like nobody had prior. Doncic restored the lead from deep, only for Dennis Schroder to immediately counter. Every inch would be fought to the last.
The inevitable
Alen Omic had been sacrificing himself all night. He knew that Germany would try to get Luka Doncic in foul trouble, so stepped forward to take the blows. With a little over 3 minutes remaining, Omic picked up his fifth. The support waning, Doncic was going to have to bring something at the death.
Even the greatest warrior must face his own mortality. As shots that were falling earlier found only iron, the Germans could see the raven ready to perch. Franz Wagner from deep extended the gap to 5 points.
Dennis Schroder kept the ship steady and Germany, the side that had swept all before them up to now, knew what they had been through. This might well have been the exact thing they needed. A true test of their mettle before the medal rounds. That will be of scant consolation to Doncic. Slovenia fell but with tremendous valour to a man.
The post Slovenia fail in gallant effort against Germany appeared first on BallinEurope.
