Slovenia's Luka Doncic erupts for monster triple-double vs. Montenegro

Will Miller

Slovenia v Poland: Quarterfinal Round - FIBA EuroBasket 2022 / Maja Hitij/GettyImages

Luka Doncic added to his array of jaw-dropping international performances today with 34 points, 13 rebounds, and 14 assists in a friendly match-up against NBA star Nikola Vucevic and the Montenegro national team.

Doncic was persistent in every facet of the game, barring his less-than-ideal free-throw shooting.

He dominated at the point of attack, using hesitations and fake half-spins to get to his spots in the half court repeatedly throughout the game.

Slovenia's Luka Doncic erupts for monster triple-double vs. Montenegro

Doncic was extremely efficient at converting once he got to said spots as well, as he had a few and-ones and tough finishes where he contorted his body past the defender or used his strength to plow through Montenegro's back line of defense.

You can see Doncic's full highlights from the game in the video below, but his best play came in the waning moments of the game, with Slovenia and Montenegro tied 97-97 with about 54 seconds left in the game.

At the end of the video, you can see Doncic hit his signature step-back three over Bulls' star Nikola Vucevic to ice the game for Slovenia.

Luka has looked like he's been in excellent shape all summer after spending a large portion of summer training with his personal trainer Anze Macek ahead of World Cup play and the Dallas Mavericks training camp.

We are definitely seeing how transferable some of the perks of Doncic's newfound playing weight are in World Cup exhibition play with Slovenia thus far. Doncic's game-high 14 assists versus Montenegro were largely due to his ability to push the pace of play in transition after grabbing a rebound or forcing a turnover.

He worked to create adversarial situations for the opponent in fast-break situations, where he so often makes the smartest read look like a no-brainer. Doncic is thriving in two-on-one scenarios and three-on-two scenarios in exhibition play this summer.

He is poised to bring his ability to push the ball via his excellent outlet passing and his dribbling in the open court this fall for the Mavs at an increased rate, given his noticeably better stamina.

Doncic and Slovenia will face off against Team USA on Saturday, August 12, at 2:30 PM central time against an opponent Mavericks fans know all too well. Former Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson will lead the attack for Team USA as a starter in Slovenia's 5th exhibition game ahead of World Cup play.

The game will be televised on Fox Sports 1 if you are looking to watch, and despite an injury to NBA champion Vlatko Cancar, Luka and the Slovenian national team assuredly will try their best to de-rail a talented Team USA squad in the friendly affair.

Given it's only the second time Brunson and Doncic have faced off against one another since Brunson's departure to the Knicks, it's a game Mavs fans won't want to miss.

Will Miller

Will Miller is a senior contributor and is in his second year with The Smoking Cuban. Will has been following the Dallas Mavericks for over a decade and is currently working on getting a Bachelors in Science in Sports Journalism from the University of North Texas, as he is also covering sports for the North Texas TV station. While Will is opening up his coverage to cover other sports for UNT, basketball and the Dallas Mavericks are his true passion and he hopes to continue writing and producing Mavericks related content as his career continues. Will has very solid in-game analysis and knowledge about the intricacies of the game, and has a very broad understanding about the NBA as a whole. Going forward Will is looking to be more expansive in his coverage of the Mavericks beyond writing as well. Outside of writing about the Mavericks, Will enjoys hanging with friends, going to the gym, and watching other sports and live events.