Luka Doncic’s return to the court for Slovenia’s game against Latvia should’ve been the story. After all, he had torched the team for 26 points in just one half. Slovenia built a double-digit lead, the vibe was electric, and the leaner, quicker version of Luka looked every bit the franchise face the Lakers paid $165 million for. Then came the third quarter, and a moment that sent ripples through Slovenia, Los Angeles, and the entire basketball world.

After colliding with teammate Gregor Hrovat, Doncic clutched his right knee and left the court visibly limping. Fans feared the worst. Slovenia’s momentum vanished. Latvia stormed back. And in a wild twist after the final whistle, a surprising gesture from Kristaps Porzingis flipped the script.

Porzingis, who led Latvia with 20 points in their 100-88 win, made headlines postgame not for what he did on the court, but for what happened after. BasketNews reported that Porzingis approached Slovenia head coach Aleksander Sekulic and apologized for the refereeing. The moment was even more striking considering the former Mavericks duo, Doncic and Porzingis, were once rumored to have a fractured relationship during their stint in Dallas.

Sekulic confirmed it, “Kristaps Porzingis even came to me after the game and apologized for the refereeing,” he told Siol.

Porzingis’ gesture came just hours after he and Doncic were seen laughing courtside pregame, captured in a viral post by the Slovenian Basketball Federation. The post, a direct shot at long-standing beef rumors, showed the two exchanging smiles and goofing courtside. Earlier in the week, Porzingis addressed their Dallas years, “I have a normal relationship with Luka Doncic. Of course, the time in Dallas didn’t work out. It’s a phase that’s over.”

Something even Luka echoed the same last year in June, “Me and KP have a good relationship. I don’t know why people say otherwise.” And while Porzingis was busy patching up optics, Doncic was clearly fed up with something else, the officiating. Cameras caught him marching straight to the head referee after the final buzzer, engaging in a brief handshake. However, he immediately turning back to fire off a few choice words.

Doncic has heated exchange with ref

The Lakers star’s annoyance was visible, with many claiming Slovenia had been handed a biased whistle. Sekulic didn’t hold back either. “It’s important that our guys really responded superbly to the pressure put by the Latvian team, and especially the referees,” he said. “If it weren’t for those few black minutes at the beginning of the second half…”

Doncic had every reason to be angry. Slovenia blew a double-digit lead, got whistled repeatedly in the third quarter, and saw their best player sidelined due to injury. And for the fourth straight prep game, they lost, this time despite Luka’s explosive first-half performance, 26 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals in just 20 minutes.

The only good news? NBA insiders Dan Woike and Marc Stein confirmed the injury was a right knee contusion, not a ligament issue. Doncic walked off under his own power, returned to the bench with an ice pack, and even lobbied to re-enter. The medical staff said no. Slovenia chose caution. “I can’t talk about the situation at this moment. When we know more, we will inform the public,” Sekulic said postgame.

Doncic is expected to be back soon. Slovenia next plays Great Britain on August 19 before wrapping up warm-ups against Serbia on August 21. EuroBasket begins August 27, with Slovenia opening against Poland. Until then, Slovenian fans will hold their breath. Lakers fans will monitor every update.