Slovenian basketball players beat the Israelis (106:96) to bid farewell to the regular season of the European Championship in Katowice and secured third place in Group D. Luka Dončić, who scored 37 points, was one assist short of his second triple-double in this competition.

Slovenia's basketball team recorded their third consecutive victory in the European Championship qualifiers and will advance to the round of 16 in Latvia as the third team from Katowice. With 37 points from Luka Dončić, who added eleven rebounds and nine assists for a statistical index of 45, they defeated Israel 106:96 (26:22, 56:43, 79:65).

They will find their opponents in the first knockout match on Sunday evening after the match between Greece and Spain in Cyprus. If Giannis Antetokounmpo's team wins, Slovenia will play Italy in the round of 16, while if the current European champions Spain are successful, who will be eliminated from the championship if they lose, Slovenia will face Spain.

The Israelis immediately showed their intention to cover the best Slovenian basketball player Luka Dončić closely. Although he did not take on many organizational tasks, the Slovenians still led 5:0. The Israelis came back thanks to a fast game in transition, and the Slovenian defense was most troubled by Deni Avdija.

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The two teams traded the lead several times, but neither managed to gain a significant advantage. Aleksej Nikolić, Alen Omić and Edo Murić contributed to the pressure on Dončić. Towards the end of the quarter, the Israeli pressure on Dončić eased, so that the Slovenians again pulled away to a five-point lead, and an important factor in this was the absence of Avdija, without whom the Israelis were lost in attack.

The Israelis quickly tied the score in the second quarter, so coach Aleksander Sekulić called a one-minute timeout. The move paid off, as Rok Radović scored first from behind the line, followed by another of the championship's debtors, Klemen Prepelič. The Slovenians gradually took over the lead on the court with collective play, with Dončić playing his part, scoring five consecutive points, including a step-back three-pointer, for Slovenia's biggest lead (+8).

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When the Slovenians tamed the Israeli attack in transition, the opponent's problems began to pile up, and the gap quickly grew to double digits and stood at 13 points by halftime.

Dončić finished the half with 24 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Avdija was the most effective for the Israelis with 19 points and seven rebounds.

The second half of the game started off magnificently with a scoring drive by Martin Krampelj after an alley-oop pass from Dončić. The Israelis were not intimidated and reduced the deficit to nine points, Avdi was again hit, and Dončić broke their run with a basket from behind the line. When Guy Palatin hit another three-pointer for 55:65, Sekulić called for a minute of timeout.

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After the break, the Slovenians returned to a more coordinated defensive strategy, after Gregor Hrovat  on the bench assessed that the game was being played too much by heart. Dončić committed his fourth personal foul in the star-studded duel with Avdija, so Sekulić pulled him from the game. The Slovenians played the rest of the third period without their first star, which did not cause them any problems. Nikolić successfully made two free throws, and Radović and Hrovat also scored from the field, the latter even for three points to calmly end the quarter.

The Slovenians brought 14 points into the last quarter. Time was on our basketball players' side, but they were unnecessarily hasty in finishing their attacks, which the Israelis punished with a series of five consecutive points. Since Avdija was absent, Khadeen Carrington played, thanks to which the Slovenians quickly filled the bonus.

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The Israelis gained momentum and closed the gap to within five points with a three-pointer by Yovel Zoosman, before Dončič returned to the game and immediately scored a basket. Prepelič scored a three-pointer on the next attack, giving the Slovenians a chance to breathe easier again. The game really came alive, with baskets raining down on both sides of the court. The Israelis continued to threaten with long-range shots, while the Slovenians became more established under the rim thanks to Alen Omić.

The Israelis were slowly running out of ideas on offense, and Dončić sealed the game with a three-pointer to take the lead at 101:87. The Israelis did not overdo it with personal fouls at the end, as a turnaround was no longer achievable.

In addition to Dončić, the Slovenian national team's standouts were Omić with a double-double, 11 points, 10 rebounds, Nikolić, who scored 16 points, and Radović with 14. Avdija scored 34 points for Israel, Roman Sorkin added 14, and Yam Madar added 10.

EuroBasket, group stage, game 5:

Slovenia - Israel 106:96  (26:22, 56:43, 79:65)

Sasha Despot