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Luka Doncic, Slovenia Trounce Hungary in EuroBasket 2022
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic led his national team, Slovenia (2-0), to its second win of EuroBasket 2022 in a matchup against Hungary (0-2). Doncic's day was finished early in the 103-88 win given he didn't have to play at all in the final period.
Early in the matchup, it was clear that Hungary was overmatched by Doncic. There wasn't a guard with enough size to deter the superstar's passes over the top or to hold their own when he's driving the lane.
Slovenia jumped out to an 18-2 lead at the 4:23 mark of the opening period and never looked back. The lead grew to be as many as 30 points in the second. It offered key players the chance to rest before their next match.
Doncic finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in just a little over 19 minutes of action. His scoring efficiency was much improved from his performance against Lithuania — shooting 8-11 overall and 3-6 from being the arc.
Slovenia was hot from beyond the arc and shot 16-40 (40 percent) from 3-point range. There was little Hungary could do defensively with the challenges Doncic posed alone, but especially when coupled with his teammates' shooting.
Doncic's co-star, Goran Dragic, was relied upon much in this game. He only logged 6:26 of playing time and recorded five points, two rebounds, and two assists. Keeping him well-rested for tougher competition was a favorable outcome.
Slovenia returns to action on Sunday, Sept. 3, at 10:45 AM (CDT) when they take on Bosnia-Herzegovina. The following matches will be against fierce competition with a back-to-back against Germany and France early next week.
You can follow Grant Afseth on Twitter at @GrantAfseth.
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