FIBA EuroBasket: Germany survives Doncic’s rampage to secure semis spot

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Germany needed a balanced effort to fend off Luka Doncic and Slovenia, 99-91, and advanced to the semifinal round of the FIBA EuroBasket on Sept. 11, 2025, in Riga, Latvia.

The Germans played catch-up for the majority of the game and trailed by double digits in the first half, but the tables turned in the final two quarters when they finally picked up their signature defensive tenacity, limiting Slovenia to just 40 total points.

Doncic was a man to be reckoned with after finishing the quarterfinal showdown with a near triple-double outing of 39 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, but his all-around brilliance couldn’t carry Slovenia to a semifinal stint.

The Slovenians were feeling themselves after ballooning their largest lead of the ball game to 13 points, 34-21, but a quick counter run from the Germans trimmed their deficit to just a deuce, 36-34, thanks to their high-octane run-and-gun offense that steered them to a huge advantage in the fast break points department.

Slovenia answered back through Doncic’s insane scoring spree, but it all went down to the final canto when both nations figured in a mano-a-mano affair.

From trailing by four points at the start of the fourth, Germany hit clutch three-pointers to return to the driver’s seat, 82-77, which forced Slovenia to call an emergency timeout.

Doncic took advantage of the opposition’s single coverage down the post, but it was the poison that Germany was willing to risk, and it paid off dividends.

With all the effort and energy Doncic consumed on the offensive end, the Germans attacked him on their executions, running multiple elbow picks to generate the mismatch down the block.

As a result, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar picked up his fourth foul with still three minutes remaining in the game. Germany would cruise in the most crucial stretch, receiving huge buckets from the dynamic duo of Daniel Theis and Dennis Schroder.

NBA talent Franz Wagner, who is playing for the Orlando Magic, spearheaded Germany with 23 points while Schroder and Theis each added 20 and 15 markers, respectively.

With the come-from-behind victory, the Germans will next test their mettle against the rolling Finland squad that overcame Georgia and the Nikola Jokic-led Serbia to reach the semis.

“We are happy and I think we deserve it after this game,” said Germany’s Andreas Obst after the win.

“Luka draws a lot of attention to himself and hits a lot of tough shots. We missed some threes but we are not worried. The opponent is prepared for us but we have to keep shooting with confidence. We did well and nearly scored 100 points so we can be happy about where we are. “