Luka Doncic (center) tries to assert himself against the two Poles Slaughter and Sokolowski (right). Photo: picture alliance/dpa
From BZ/dpa
NBA superstar Luka Doncic has taken the blame for the EM from the Slovenian basketball players.
“I played terribly today. I failed my team and the whole country that supported us. It’s all on me. I have to watch this game and get better,” said the 23-year-old from the Dallas Mavericks late on Wednesday evening after the surprising 87:90 defeat against outsiders Poland.
Out: Luka Doncic and Slovenia surprisingly lost to Poland in the quarter-finals of the European Championship. Right: Slovenia coach Aleksander Sekulic Photo: picture alliance/dpa
Doncic will leave Berlin like Giannis Antetokounmpo from Greece and Nikola Jokic from Serbia without a medal. The playmaker had shown his weakest performance of the tournament so far against the Poles.
In the end there were 14 points, eleven rebounds and seven assists, but Doncic also lost six balls and made numerous mistakes. In addition, the star had to leave early in the final phase after five personal fouls.
“I wasn’t at 100 percent. I got an injection in the third quarter,” Doncic admitted. His team of NBA pro Goran Dragic and center Mike Tobey was considered one of the big contenders for the gold medal. Especially Doncic was outstanding before the quarterfinals with three games in a row in which he scored at least 35 points.
Now the series broke, it was followed by the sudden end. “This EM was great to watch, the level is unbelievable,” Doncic said about the general level. France and Poland (5.15 p.m. / Magentasport) as well as Germany and Spain (8.30 p.m. / RTL and Magentasport) will now contest the semi-finals on Friday.