Multiple teams have already started with their second game in the FIBA World Cup 2023 and Slovenia, led by NBA superstar Luka Doncic has had a flying start to the tournament. They played their second match against Georgia after already registering their first win a few days ago. Although it was a great performance all-round from the Slovenian team to get the better of Georgia, one on-court incident took away most of the headlines.
Slovenian guard Jaka Blazic crashed into Tornike Shengelia of Georgia during the third quarter of play. However, it wasn’t the players who were the center of the attention.
Special gesture steals the limelight from Luka Doncic and Slovenia
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Slovenia have booked their place in the second round of the FIBA World Cup 2023 after a dominant performance against Georgia. With the 88-67 win, Slovenia go 2-0 up and will have their final match against Cape Verde soon.
READ MORE: Who Is the FIBA President? All You Need to Know About Qatar’s Billionaire Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani
Doncic had a powerful performance to help his team with the win. However, it was Blazic and Shengelia’s mid-game crash that grabbed the headlines.
With 4 minutes left in the third quarter of the match, Slovenia led Georgia 50-43. Blazic, who is 6-foot-5 inches tall, went up against Tornike Shengalia, who is 6-foot-9 inches tall during a contesting play.
As Tornike Shengelia went down to the floor, his wife started running towards him to make sure he's fine 🥺#FIBAWC #WinForAll pic.twitter.com/lYu3PiESKg
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) August 28, 2023
Following their nasty fall, Shengelia’s wife rushed into court to make sure her husband was fine. Although the two players looked serious, they seemed fine and were replaced on the court.
Doncic dazzles in impressive second win
Going into the tournament, 24-year-old Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic was hyped to be one of the best players. Safe to say, the Slovenian has lived upto the hype.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Slovenia earned their second win in Group F after a dominant 88-67 blowout win against Georgia. Doncic had an all-round game as he registered 36 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals.
The four-time NBA All-Star had a brilliant performance in the opening match against Venezuela as well. The 2019 Rookie of the Year had 37 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists to give his team a 100-85 win over the South American team.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
WATCH THIS STORY: What Happened the Last Time Team USA Faced New Zealand at the FIBA World Cup?
What are your thoughts on Luka Doncic and Slovenia’s performances so far? Let us know in the comments below.