Luka Doncic, Slovenia Pulls Out Win vs. Magic's Joe Ingles, Australia
OKINAWA, Japan — Slovenia is on top at the FIBA World Cup after a 91-80 upset win over Australia, which featured Orlando Magic veteran Joe Ingles.
Ingles struggled in this one, failing to score on 0 of 3 shooting in 26 minutes of action.
A clear focus from Australia's defensive game-plan was to blitz pick-and-rolls and to double-team the post when Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic had possession of the ball. The superstar guard accepted the coverage to find open teammates. Slovenia handled it well and led for 19:31 of the first 20 minutes of game play, with Australia never holding an edge.
Slovenia gained a 32-18 lead with around nine minutes remaining in the second quarter — establishing the largest lead of the opening half. The momentum was in the team's favor with Mike Tobey finishing plays inside the paint and shooters receiving open looks.
Doncic checked back into the game with 2:00 remaining in the second period after dealing with foul trouble, with his team leading 44-35. Without Australia achieving a run to close the period, Slovenia managed to lead by nine at the break.
Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
Shortly after halftime, Patty Mills used a savvy veteran tactic to keep Doncic in foul trouble. As Doncic was getting up the floor on defense, Mills dribbled in front of his path and hit the breaks, causing Doncic to crash into him — recording his fourth foul at the 8:18 mark. He remained in the game despite the circumstances.
With Doncic on the sideline for the final part of the third quarter, Josh Giddey had begun to take over by attacking the paint for Australia — scoring nine points overall in the period. Slovenia's lead was cut to just 66-62 entering the fourth quarter.
With the help of some timely plays on offense, Slovenia grew its lead back to nine points with Doncic checking back in with seven minutes left in regulation.
Doncic sparked momentum for his team by recording an emphatic block, leading to a 3-pointer on the other end. He recorded a steal that eventually ended with a pull-up 3, which pushed Slovenia to a 15-point lead with 3:37 left in regulation as Australia called timeout.
Australia never managed to rally back, with a step-back 3 by Doncic with just under two minutes left serving as a final message sent by Slovenia to achieve a game-high 19-point lead at that point.
Slovenia's next match will come against Germany on Sunday, while Australia will take on Georgia. However, Australia was eliminated from potential advancement to the quarterfinals.
