Doncic burned out, truly a one-man team against an entire squad

Is there an example in basketball where one player defeats a whole team? Yes, my friend, there is.

Last night’s EuroBasket semifinal, where Slovenia beat Italy to reach the quarterfinals, is a vivid example. Although I dislike attributing a whole game’s victory to one person, in last night’s match, praising Doncic is fully justified.

In the first quarter, Slovenia established an 18-point lead at 29-11. Doncic’s individual scoring was twice that of Italy’s entire team. He shot 7 of 10 from the field, 3 of 6 from three-point range, and made all 5 free throws, exploding for 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals in the quarter alone.

Right from the start, Doncic repeatedly stole the ball from opponents, showing his defensive determination. After a 0-4 start, Doncic led a 15-0 run, scoring 10 points himself and fully opening up his outside shooting.

When Italy showed signs of a comeback, Doncic switched back to scoring mode, repeatedly hitting floaters inside, finishing with aggressive and unstoppable and-one plays, then sinking shots from beyond the arc to score another 10 points in a row. With 1.3 seconds left in the first quarter, Doncic made two free throws to reach 22 points before resting—those 1.3 seconds marked his only break in the quarter.

After the first quarter, Doncic went to the locker room to treat an injury. Yes, he scored 22 points in that quarter while playing hurt. Postgame, Doncic said, “Yes, it does hurt a bit. I’m going to recover now, but it’s okay.”

In the second quarter, Doncic scored 8 points, and in the second half, he added 12 more. His scoring efficiency declined, which aligns with normal physical limits. Still, despite the 22 points in one quarter and 30 by halftime, it wasn’t enough to secure an easy win, as Slovenia nearly stumbled.

In the final quarter, Slovenia scored only 12 points with a shooting percentage below 20%. Italy’s defense completely denied Doncic any one-on-one opportunities, double-teaming him whenever he had the ball. Yet, in the entire second half, Doncic didn’t record a single assist, meaning his teammates truly could not convert any shots.

Doncic’s only assist of the entire game came six minutes into the first half when he faced a double team near midcourt and passed inside for a dunk. After that, he did not register any more assists.

Before today’s game, Doncic averaged 8.4 assists per match, but tonight his teammates missed every shot, including open threes and even layups right at the rim. Seeing Doncic finish a game with just one assist was certainly eye-opening.

So when Doncic’s stamina was nearly depleted in the final quarter, Slovenia’s offense ran into major trouble. With two minutes remaining, their largest 19-point lead was cut to just one. Fortunately, Italy made mistakes in the closing moments, combined with Doncic’s perfect four free throws, allowing Slovenia to narrowly escape with the win.

Doncic played 33 minutes and 17 seconds, shooting 11 of 19 from the field, 5 of 11 from three, and 15 of 16 from the free-throw line, finishing with 42 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals. Slovenia scored 84 points as a team, with Doncic’s points making up exactly half of that total.

In the early morning game, another superstar, Giannis, also scored 37 of his team’s 84 points. It’s hard to say who was more dominant between Giannis and Doncic today, but clearly, if Doncic had scored fewer points in the first half, this game would have been in serious jeopardy.

Through six games in the EuroBasket quarterfinals, Doncic averages 33.4 minutes, 34 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 3.2 steals per game. He leads the tournament in scoring, steals, free throws made, and efficiency rating. Even with only one assist today, he still ranks second in assists per game and third in minutes played.

Additionally, Doncic leads his team in five basic stats: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Such a performance easily reminds one of LeBron’s 2018 playoff run, where he carried the entire team on his shoulders relying purely on outstanding individual ability.

For Slovenia’s roster, simply advancing from the group stage was considered an achievement, yet Doncic led his teammates all the way into the quarterfinals. The results of his offseason weight loss are evident now, with improved speed and endurance, no drop in offensive skill, and his previous physical advantages still intact.

A further evolved Doncic—what achievements might he bring to the Lakers next season? The anticipation only grows.