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via Imago

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When an athlete represents his nation, he plays with a different passion altogether. No matter the sport, when it comes to the matter of pride for their country, the players do not quit. And the FIBA World Cup is the stage where the athletes are giving their all just to earn glory for their country. The final group-stage matches are occurring to decide the top two teams that will qualify from their groups.

Hence, the match between Slovenia and Australia is very crucial for both teams as they are fighting for the second spot in their group. Luka Doncic from Slovenia is showing his leadership skills by guiding his team to victory.

The fight for survival

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The matchup between Slovenia and Australia is becoming very intense. As both the teams are aware of what’s on the line, the players are going all out. Especially Luka Doncic, who is currently leading the World Cup with 14.7 free throws per game which is the highest mark in FIBA World Cup history. Doncic showed his ruthless aggression during the game and by the third quarter received 4 fouls. By the end of the first half, he had 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists with 3 personal fouls.

During an encounter with the Australian Guard Josh Giddy, Doncic tried to sway the ball toward him and ended up getting hurt. Due to which, his elbow started bleeding in the match, but due to the adrenaline rush, Doncic did not stop and carried on with the game. So the Australian Players were marking Doncic and not letting him score. But he played smart by finding his teammates and crushing the opponent’s defense.

Read More: Missing Out on NBA’s Prestigious Award Multiple Times, Luka Doncic Might Just Make History at FIBA World Cup 2023

However, the Boomers knew Slovenia’s strategies as they had defeated them for the bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics. Due to that, the Slovenians had to prove themselves and take their revenge. With Josh Giddy scoring 14 points by the third quarter, the score was running very close with Slovenia at 66 and Australia at 62. And with just one foul left from getting disqualified from the game, Doncic was playing very cautiously.

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Slovenia stays in the FIBA World Cup

In the final quarter, Slovenia just did not let Australia score and extended their lead to 73-64. As Patty Mills and Josh Giddy try their best to catch up, the Slovenians just dominated and increased their lead to 81-66. Even though Josh Giddy played really well by scoring 25 points, 4 assists, and 8 rebounds, he failed to take his team to glory. And Slovenia won against Australia with a score of 91-80. Mike Tobey from Slovenia hit a double-double by achieving 18 points, 5 assists, and 12 rebounds. And Luka Doncic, after fouling his way through the game, 20 points, 6 assists, and 7 rebounds to confirm Slovenia’s position in the FIBA World Cup.

As Slovenia defeats Australia, their next match-up is with the Group K leaders, Germany. This match will decide who will be in the first place in their group. As both the teams have played 4 matches and won, tying their points at 8, this will be the decider game of Group K. Who do you think will win? Let us know in the comments below.

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