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Slovenia vs. Lithuania score, highlights, results: Luka Doncic shines with double-double in EuroBasket 2022 opener

Scott Rafferty

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Slovenia vs. Lithuania score, highlights, results: Luka Doncic shines with double-double in EuroBasket 2022 opener image

It wasn't Luka Doncic's best game, but his fingerprints were still all over Slovenia's win to open EuroBasket 2022.

The Mavericks star overcame a tough shooting night to finish with 14 points and 10 assists against Lithuania. He was surgical down the stretch, recording seven of his assists in a back-and-forth second half.

Slovenia was led by Mike Tobey, who scored a game-high 24 points. Goran Dragic provided a scoring punch with 19 points off the bench.

Lithuania struggled to take care of the ball in the loss, with 16 turnovers leading to 25 points for Slovenia.

For more on the game, check below for stats, highlights and updates.

MORE: EuroBasket 2022 expert picks, predictions and best bets

Luka Doncic's highlights vs. Lithuania

Luka Doncic recorded 14 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and three steals on 4-for-14 shooting from the field and 5-for-8 from the free throw line against Lithuania.

Here are Doncic's highlights from Slovenia's win:

Slovenia vs. Lithuania final score

Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Slovenia 27 24 18 23 92
Lithuania 27 21 19 18 85

Slovenia vs. Lithuania highlights, results

Final score: Slovenia 92, Lithuania 85

1:18 p.m. — Slovenia gets the win.

Led by Mike Tobey's game-high 24 points, Luka Doncic's double-double and Goran Dragic's 19 points off the bench, Slovenia defeats Lithuania to open EuroBasket.

Mindaugas Kuzminskas scored a team-high 19 points for Lithuania. Domantas Sabonis finished with 10 points and five rebounds while Jonas Valanciunas posted nine points and 12 rebounds.

1:10 p.m. — Luka Doncic has taken a few hits to the face this game. This time Domantas Sabonis catches him with an elbow. Upon review, Sabonis receives an unsportsmanlike foul, giving Slovenia two free throws and possession of the ball.

Doncic knocks down both freebies to give Slovenia an 88-81 lead with 1:50 to go.

1:03 p.m. — Guess what? Luka Doncic sets Mike Tobey up for another layup with another beauty.

Doncic has a 12-point, 10-assist double-double and Slovenia regains the lead.

1:00 p.m. — Luka Doncic finds Mike Tobey again. 12 points and nine assists for Doncic now.

12:58 p.m. — It hasn't been the most efficient night for Luka Doncic, but he continues to make plays. He goes 1-for-2 from the free throw line and then zips a pass to Mike Tobey for a layup to cut the deficit to two points.

Doncic is up to 12 points, eight assists, four rebounds and three steals for the game.

12:50 p.m. — And now it's Lithuania's turn to create some distance.

A 3-pointer from — who else? — Mindaugas Kuzminskas followed by a sweet hook shot from Domantas Sabonis gives Lithuania a 78-73 lead with 6:26 to go. 

Timeout for Slovenia.

End of third quarter: Slovenia 69, Lithuania 67

12:45 p.m. — Speaking of difference-makers, Goran Dragic continues to make things happen for Slovenia. He drains his second 3-pointer of the game near the end of the third quarter, giving him a team-best 14 points. 

Buckle up. This one looks like it's going down to the wire.

12:39 p.m. — Whenever it has looked like Slovenia might pull away, Lithuania has responded.

A little floater from Mindaugas Kuzminskas ties the game at 67 with under one minute remaining in the period, leading to a timeout for Slovenia.

Kuzminskas has a game-high 16 points off the bench. He's been a difference-maker.

12:33 p.m. — The post is Luka Doncic's best friend right now. He continues to attack Ignas Brazdeikis on the low block, leading to a dunk, a kick out for a wide-open 3 and now two free throws, which he went 1-for-2 on.

12:30 p.m. — Luka Doncic is coming alive in the third quarter. A dunk out of the post and another dime has him up to 10 points and seven assists in the game.

Peep the staredown:

Slovenia leads 64-57 with 3:51 remaining in the third quarter.

12:24 p.m. — Luka Doncic is throwing some dimes right now. He has three assists in the third quarter alone.

End of second quarter: Slovenia 51, Lithuania 48

12:04 p.m. — Slovenia leads 51-48 at the half.

It's been a relatively quiet game for Luka Doncic so far — he has eight points, three assists, three steals and two rebounds — but Goran Dragic has come up big off the bench for Slovenia with 10 points. Lithuania has gotten some help off the bench as well, with Mindaugas Kuzminskas leading the way with 10 points.

Kuzminskas would've had 12 points at the half had Vlatko Cancar not done this:

Goodness.

11:56 a.m. — Lithuania scores two quick baskets out of a timeout, making it a one-possession game again, 41-38. This remains close.

11:54 a.m. — Lithuania is struggling to take care of the ball so far. Eight turnovers have led to 12 points for Slovenia. For comparison, Lithuania only has one point off of Slovenia's four turnovers.

11:47 a.m. — Ah, it looks like Jonas Valanciunas accidentally hit Luka Doncic in the face. It was reviewed to see if it was unsportsmanlike, but it's been ruled a common foul.

Here's the play:

Oh, did I forget to mention that Doncic broke Valanciunas' ankles? Yeah, that was mean.

End of first quarter: Slovenia 27, Lithuania 27

11:35 a.m. —  A putback from Lithuania's Rokas Giedraitis in the closing seconds of the first quarter ties the game at 27. 

Luka Doncic has been short on a couple of shots and missed one of two free throw attempts, but he's tied with Jaka Blazic for team-high honors with six points. Doncic also has three steals and one assist.

Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas have combined for eight of Lithuania's 27 points.

One of Valanciunas' buckets came at the hands of this slick dime from Sabonis:

11:24 a.m. — Slovenia has the touch from outside early, scoring 15 of its 19 points from the 3-point line.

11:17 a.m. — And we're off! Domantas Sabonis gets Lithuania on the board first, only for Luka Doncic to respond with his signature step back 3.

This is going to be fun.

Pregame

If you need to get hyped for what's to come, here are the highlights from Slovenia's victory over Lithuania in the final of the 2020 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament:

Doncic went for 31 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in the win. Not bad.

What channel is Slovenia vs. Lithuania on?

  • Date: Thursday, Sept. 1
  • Live streaming: ESPN+

Watch every EuroBasket 2022 game live and on demand with ESPN+. Sign up now to catch all of the action with some of the NBA's biggest stars including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and more. Stream all games from both the group stage and knockout round from September 1 through the championship on September 18.

Slovenia vs. Lithuania start time

  • Time: 11:15 a.m. ET
  • Date: Thursday, Sept. 1

Slovenia and Lithuania will face off on Thursday, Sept. 1 at Köln Arena in Germany.

The game is scheduled to start at 11:15 a.m. ET.

When does Slovenia play at EuroBasket 2022? 

Slovenia is in Group B along with Lithuania, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany and France. 

Slovenia's 2022 EuroBasket schedule
Date Opponent Time (ET)
Sept. 1 Lithuania 11:15 a.m.
Sept. 3 Hungary 2:30 p.m.
Sept. 4 Bosnia and Herzegovina 11:45 a.m.
Sept. 6 Germany 2:30 p.m.
Sept. 7 France 11:15 a.m.

Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.