Italy - Slovenia (11:29, 29:21, 16:22, 21:12, end of game)

From the pen of Tanja Ćulafić

It seemed that this would be an easy victory for Luka and his team, as they led by double digits for three quarters, but the Italians had a surge in the last quarter that brought them back to only half a basket two minutes before the end. It contributed to the fact that Dončić was out of the game for a while, but also to the fact that he had a significantly weaker scoring performance later on.

He was the most effective player in the match, finishing with 42 points and nine rebounds. In the Slovenian team, Prepelić was also in double figures with 11.

For the Italians, Simone Fontecchio scored 22 points, and Salio Niang scored 12.

Rudy Fernandez:

- fan of Luka

- not a fan of sweaty Luka#EuroBasket | #MakeYourMark pic.twitter.com/ZtDL52X7yD

— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 7, 2025

The Italian national team had no response to the play of Luka Dončić, who scored 30 points in halftime. His team's attack was limited to his play, but that did not pose a problem, since there were no players on the other side in the mood to respond, so Slovenia led 29:18 after ten minutes.

A clash between Dončić and Fontecchio followed, but the expansion in the Italian's game was not enough to change the situation, so the team coached by Sekulic remained on a double-digit lead at halftime (50:40). Pocek's elected officials had their hands tied. The third part was played evenly in almost everything, and again those throws made the difference in favor of Slovenia, which managed to increase the difference again to 72:56.

The Slovenians did not leave a chance for the opponent to try to do something while Luka was resting. Omic controlled the racquet, and Preprelič blocked the rush attempt with two triples. The difference was around ten points, but Niccolò Melli made the situation more interesting halfway through the last quarter, and then the drama followed, 77:78. Prepelić missed two important shots, but Luka corrected it in the next attack and returned plus three, and then the team managed to defend, and then the Slovenian superstar finished the job from the free throw line.

LUKA EXPLODES FOR 42 PTS AND SLOVENIA MOVE ON 🇸🇮#EuroBasket

— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 7, 2025

End of the match

77:84 – Two big free throws for Dončić. Then Italy rushed, they tried to score threes in a hurry, but they didn't succeed. However, Slovenia calmed down and managed to knock out the Italians.

77:80 - Dončić scored exactly half of Slovenia's points. There are 40 of them. There is a little more than a minute left. Luka Dončić scored his second game with 40 points at Eurobasket, becoming the fifth player in the history of the competition with more such games, after Nikos Galis (6), Doron Dzhamči (2), Lauri Markanen (2) and Eddie Terras (2).

Fontecchio with a TOUGH bucket and this is a 1-point game 🤯#EuroBasket

— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 7, 2025

77:78 – Fontecchio for two! Italy is at minus one. Wow, what a match.

75:78 - The Italians do an excellent job on the rebound, it brings them back into the match. As a reminder, it was plus 16 for the Slovenians before the last quarter.

72:78 - Slovenia has a lot of confidence in the three-point shot. Niang plays great defense on him and then Melly hits a three.

65:75 - Slovenia is at 75 points for a long time. Something has to change in their game. Nevertheless, Dončić made a basket with a foul. He has 38 points so far.

62:75 - Saliu Niang brings Italy back on his own. He plays defense against Dončić, and very well, and now Edo Murić made an unsportsmanlike attack on him.

55:70 – Quail for three! What a hat trick for the Dubai player.

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56:67 – Wow, what a three-pointer with a foul by Gallinari. A phenomenal move by an experienced Italian.

52:67 - A three-pointer goes for Prepelic, so Diouf makes a great shot.

50:63 – Alen Omic has done the mining job now. He scored after two offensive rebounds.

FONTECCHIO TIME.

20 points for Simone and Italy are right back in this.#EuroBasket

— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 7, 2025

47:59 - Finally a three for the Italians. It was the work of Nicolas Meli, so then Fontecchio gave another one.

44:57 – The Slovenians came back to a double-digit plus, and it was not pleasant.

44:53 - The Italians scored quickly at the beginning of the third period through Fontecchio, and then Dončić scored in a great way

End of the first half

40:50 - Doncic has 30 points at halftime! What a player, but the work is far from done. Slovenia leads at halftime.

40:48 – Wow, what a knock by Diouf over Omic! The Italian jumped from the spot and hit the Slovenian centre.

38:48 – Payola for three! Here Italy is only minus seven, but Aleksej Nikolić hit a big three-pointer after the timeout.

34:44 – What a shootout in Riga! Murić, then Fontecchio for three.

Imagine waking up knowing you'll have to guard Luka Doncic.

Luka has 22 in the first quarter.#EuroBasket | #MakeYourMark

— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 7, 2025

31:41 – The Italians found a shot. Fontecchio and Spisu tied two triples.

22:39 – As soon as Dončić returned, Slovenia got a new life. However, Alessandro Paiola hit a three-pointer, but Doncic scored from one foot. He's shooting 9/12 from the field so far.

20:32 – As soon as Dončić is not on the court, there is a problem for Slovenia. Aleksandar Sekulic requested a timeout.

THE REACTION OF THE ITALIAN FAN SAYS IT ALL. LUKA WITH 20 IN IN THE FIRST QUARTER.#EUROBASKET

— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 7, 2025

15:32 - Here comes Fontecchio, the points of Italy's best player are badly needed in order to keep up as much as possible.

13:32 – Three Quails are coming! Minutes without Dončić are sensitive now for the Slovenians, but they work well.

End of the first quarter

11:27 - Doncic is unstoppable, and Slovenia tramples the Italians. It couldn't get any better than this.

9:25 - So how does Dončić play! Poetry, what is Luka doing in the course of the match so far?

Luka Doncic takes every Italian defender and cooks them one by one.

17 points in 8 minutes and counting.#EuroBasket

— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 7, 2025

9:21 - Doncic! A Slovenian dances in Riga. He has put the team on his back and is playing phenomenally so far.

9:19 - Italy is waking up. Spisu hit a three-pointer, but Doncic is phenomenal. It is already at a height of 12 points.

4:15 – Exceptional start by the Slovenians! Doncic has already scored 10 points and the Italian team has a problem how to defend him!

Before the match

We know six travelers to the Eurobasket quarterfinals, we have to find out two more. We will get the first one around 7:30 p.m., when the match between Italy and Slovenia starts.

The spectacle in Riga for the quarterfinals. The Azzurri finished the group stage in second place with a score of 4-1, while the Slovenians recorded three wins and two losses. Now, in a mutual duel, they will determine who will continue their quest for medals.

This could go down as another #EuroBasket classic 🔥

— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 7, 2025

The winner of this match will play in the quarter-finals against Lithuania, who beat the host Latvia on Saturday.

Serbia at Eurobasket

Eurobasket  2025  started on August 27 and runs until September 14 in four countries: Finland, Poland, Latvia and Cyprus. 24 national teams are participating, which will play in four groups. The elimination phase of the European Basketball Championship is being played in Riga, where, in group A, the Serbian basketball team will play.

), Latvia ( won 84:80 ), Czech Republic ( won 82:60 ) and Turkey ( lost 95:90 ). Finally, Serbia is participating in the European Championship.