Luka Doncic, who led the Dallas Mavericks to a surprise run to the NBA Finals, is now focused on helping his native Slovenia qualify for the Olympics. After failing to secure an Olympic berth during last summer’s FIBA World Cup, Slovenia must win admission through an Olympic Qualifying Tournament. In their first game, they lost to Croatia and put themselves in a must-win situation with a high point differential to advance. However, they managed to beat New Zealand by 26 points with a 104-78 win, thanks to Doncic’s impressive 36-point triple-double performance.
Currently, eight teams have already secured their spots in the Olympics, leaving four slots available for the 12-team field through the qualifying tournaments. The teams competing for those final spots are divided into six tournaments, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals. Notably, Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo will face off in the semifinals, with the winner likely to play against Croatia for a chance to qualify for the Olympics.
Slovenia had a strong showing at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, finishing in fourth place after a loss to Australia in the Bronze Medal Game. Doncic was the standout player on that team, with other players like Vlatko Cancar and Zoran Dragic following behind. While many top players are already competing for their countries on various stages of international basketball competitions, this tournament represents one of few remaining opportunities for them to earn recognition on a global stage before next year’s Olympic Games.
The qualifying tournament is also an opportunity for new faces and young players like Doncic to prove their worth on an international level and gain experience that will benefit them throughout their careers. With so much talent at stake and such high stakes involved, it promises to be an exciting tournament that will determine which four countries will join forces in Tokyo next summer.
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