FIBA Film Study: How Mavs' Luka Doncic Saw 'Everything' vs. Cape Verde
OKINAWA, Japan — Luka Doncic and Slovenia finished with a 3-0 record against Group F at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, resulting from a 92-77 win against Cape Verde on Wednesday. The Dallas Mavericks superstar totaled 19 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, and four steals.
Slovenia led for over 37 minutes of game action, but didn't pull away by double-figures until later in the third quarter — leading by as many as 24 points. Doncic's first made field goal came with 46 seconds left in the second quarter. On the night, he shot 5-17 from the floor and 1-8 from deep, but was 8-11 from the free throw line.
"It was tough because Luka is a tall point guard, so he can see everything on the court," Cape Verde coach Emanuel Tavares said of defending Doncic. "You think you can steal the ball sometimes, but it's tough because he controls every possession on the court."
"It was tough on the screens. If someone comes for help, you have [Doncic passing] to the corner. If you don't help, he'll find something to do," Tavares explained.
FIBA
Unlike Slovenia's first two matchups of the World Cup, Cape Verde's defense is anchored by a legitimate shot blocking presence in Edy Tavares. Attacking the paint wasn't as simple for Doncic as it had been in other matchup.
"It was hard, but we did our job, which was trying our best to stop him. I think 19 points for Luka is like 5 points for us. We did our best," Tavares said.
An in-depth breakdown of Doncic's performance against Cape Verde can be viewed in the embedded video below. Subscribe to my channel for more content about Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks throughout the FIBA World Cup and the 2023-24 NBA season.
Doncic will next take on his Mavs teammates, Josh Green and Dante Exum, in a match against Australia on Friday. Check back with DallasBasketball.com for full coverage before and after the game.
Slovenia is also scheduled to take on Germany on Sunday, which will be pivotal in deciding which of the two teams from Group K will advance.
