Luka Doncic puts on an absolute show as Slovenia tops Turkey in a wild friendly
By Tyler Watts
The Dallas Mavericks have just over six weeks before training camp, but superstar Luka Doncic has a lot of work to do before returning to led the team. The 23-year-old is busy captaining the Slovenian National Team as they look to defend the EuroBasket crown and push one step closer to reaching next year's World Cup.
Slovenia won two World Cup qualifiers earlier this summer as Doncic was incredible. He took some time off before returning to his national team just days ago. Slovenia kicked off their preparation for upcoming slate with a friendly against Turkey on Friday afternoon.
Doncic had his entire bag of tricks on display as Slovenia topped Turkey 104-103 in overtime in a hard-fought game in Constantinople. Luka exited the game early as Turkey made an improbable comeback on their home soil to force overtime, but Goran Dragic saved the day for Slovenia. Here is a look at Doncic's performance and what is next for the 23-year-old and his national team.
Luka Doncic puts on an absolute show as Slovenia tops Turkey in a friendly
Doncic wasted no time in making the highlight reel. He dribbled between a Turkish player’s legs in the first quarter before bombing an incredible full-court pass. It was an unbelievable sequence that fans can watch here.
Luka was far from done. He was aggressive in attacking the basket in Turkey, and he was not done adding to his highlight reel. Number 77 launched another full-court pass in the third quarter, which Goran Dragic converted for an easy layup. Enjoy the incredible dime here.
Doncic was not on the floor for the final seven minutes in the fourth quarter as Turkey made an improbably comeback to force overtime. Furkan Korkmaz and Alperen Sengun led Turkey back into the contest as they were down eight with under one minute to go.
Turkey took control early in overtime until Goran Dragic pushed Slovenia from four points down in the final minute to victory with Luka on the bench. Dragic hit an incredible stepback 3-pointer for the game-winner. It was a wild and exciting friendly that was just a preview of what is come.
Doncic finished with 23 points, ten rebounds, and five assists in 27.3 minutes of action against Turkey on Friday. It was another impressive performance from the 6'7 guard, and the best is still yet to come.
Luka is still working his way into peak shape for the World Cup qualifiers at the end of this month and EuroBasket, which starts on Sept. 1. The Slovenian National Team is a joy to watch with number 77 leading their charge. Expect plenty of highlights and wins over the next six weeks.
Slovenia will be back in action on Saturday as they play Ukraine in another friendly. No word yet on if Doncic will feature, but fans can expect him to put on another show if he does.
Dallas Mavericks fans should tune in and enjoy the games over the next six weeks. Luka Doncic will certainly put up some monster performances, and the highlights will keep rolling in, so do not miss it.