Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Dončić criticized the referees following Slovenia’s heartbreaking 99-91 EuroBasket quarterfinal loss to Germany on Wednesday.
“I won’t say much,” Dončić told reporters, according to BasketNews. “I got my first technical foul just two minutes into the game when I shouted, ‘Come on.’ That shouldn’t happen in a quarterfinal, no matter who the player is. To not even get a warning—honestly, I don’t know what the referees were thinking.”
Slovenia held the lead for much of the game, but Dončić’s foul trouble allowed Germany to stage a comeback and advance.
“Four fouls at the start of the third quarter—something like that has never happened to me in my life,” Dončić said. “I’m angry, 100 percent angry. I could have done more in the last quarter. I forced shots, I could have been better in key moments, I didn’t make the right decisions… Hats off to the guys, we showed we can win. We all fought and gave our best.”
Historic Lakers Performance Overshadowed
The Lakers star finished with 39 points—the most by any player in a EuroBasket quarterfinal game. He also added 10 rebounds and seven assists, though he was slowed in the second half after scoring 22 in the opening half when Slovenia led 51-45.
The loss was especially painful for Slovenia, which had rallied with four straight wins after starting 0-2.
“For us, this was not a good enough result; we aimed higher. But many people spoke about us disrespectfully,” Dončić said. “We fight for Slovenia, for the jersey, we all give 100 percent. Hats off to everyone. We could have been resting, but we fought for every ball and gave our all.”
Slovenia Coach Voices Frustration
Slovenia coach Aleksander Sekulic acknowledged the team’s disappointment over the treatment they received but praised Germany, the reigning FIBA World Cup champions.
“First of all, congrats to Germany for advancing to the semifinals,” Sekulic said, according to BasketNews. “I could start talking about things going on in the court from the first minute. Very strange things are going on. I feel bad for the players, but I don’t want to talk about it because I would undermine what the players did on the court—not only in this game, but throughout the whole championship.”
While Dončić was spectacular despite his foul trouble, Sekulic highlighted the effort of his teammates.
“I know we have a great superstar, Luka, but the players around him—their effort—it’s not easy. I mean, it’s very hard. To be disrespected like we were today just hurts. It hurts because of seeing the players suffering right now in the locker room.”
He also addressed Slovenia’s aggressive play in the final quarter.
“Because I believe that we played great basketball today. I think we were a better team. I guess we have to apologize for being such a dirty team, making so many fouls in the last quarter, especially against the German team.”
Germany Pulls Away After Luka’s Foul Trouble
Germany seized the lead early in the fourth quarter when Andreas Obst sank a one-legged three-pointer to make it 77-74. They never looked back, advancing to the semifinals at Slovenia’s expense.
Dončić concluded the tournament as the scoring leader, averaging 34.7 points per game. The Lakers star also ranked first in steals, third in assists, and eighth in rebounds at the time of Slovenia’s loss, further cementing his status as one of the NBA’s premier talents.
With Slovenia eliminated, the Lakers star now turns his attention to the upcoming NBA season, aiming to channel his frustration from EuroBasket into preparation and leadership for Los Angeles.
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