Mavericks: What to watch for as Luka Doncic and Slovenia face France

The Dallas Mavericks made a flurry of moves on the opening night of free agency to improve their roster around Luka Doncic. The 22-year-old superstar was gearing up to put on another show in Tokyo as the agreements were happening. Luka narrowly missed a triple-double as he pushed Slovenia into the Olympic semifinals. The country of just over 2 million is in their first Olympic Games, and now they are guaranteed to play for a medal.

Slovenia’s semifinal showdown is against France on Thursday with the winner advancing to the gold medal game. The French are led by Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, and Nicolas Batum. They have five NBA players on their roster and have won all four games thus far in Tokyo. Their victory over Team USA to start the tournament has been the biggest upset of the Olympics to this point.

Mavs fans will not want to miss Thursday’s game. Luka has a chance to achieve a lifelong dream if he can lead Slovenia to a victory. Here is how to watch, the odds, and more on the Olympic semifinal.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic and Slovenia vs. France: How to watch

Start time: Aug. 5 at 6:00 a.m. CT or 7:00 a.m. ET

How to watch: NBCSN

Watch online: NBC Olympics

Odds courtesy of WynnBET: Slovenia -140, France +105

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic and Slovenia vs. France: Injury updates

Slovenia remains fully fit and ready for the Olympic semifinals. Luka will be leading the charge, but he needs his teammates to step up and knock down open looks if they are going to advance to the finals.

France also enters fully fit. They are likely to feed Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier on Thursday night. Mike Tobey will need to slow down the Jazz’s center in the paint or it could be a difficult contest for the Slovenians.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic and Slovenia vs. France storyline to watch: Guarantee medal

The winner advances to the gold medal game and guarantees themselves a medal. Luka has dreamed of leading Slovenia to the Olympic gold since he was a child. The 22-year-old superstar is two games away from making that a reality. Expect him to come out firing in Thursday’s semifinal and put together a remarkable performance.

It will be interesting to see how France decides to try to stop Doncic. Nicolas Batum and Evan Fournier are likely to draw the assignment on Luka. Expect Rudy Gobert to stay locked in the paint too. There is no 3-second rule in FIBA play, so Gobert’s can camp in the paint to deter Doncic drives. France will put plenty of pressure on the Dallas Mavericks superstar. Do not be surprised to see another near triple-double in what should be a nail-biting game.

Dallas Mavericks fans should have their eyes glued to the television on Thursday morning as Luka Doncic tries to pull off another incredible feat. It will be a fun and entertaining game, so do not miss it.