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‘Baby GOAT’: NBA Twitter Hails Luka Doncic as Slovenia Stuns Basketball Powerhouse Spain at Tokyo Olympics 2020

Published 08/01/2021, 7:25 AM EDT

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via Reuters

Luka Doncic and the Slovenian national team faced off against a veteran loaded Spain side in the final group game of the Tokyo Olympics 2020. While they do not have multiple all stars in their roster, they have Slovenian wonder kid Luka Doncic in their side.

Doncic who is coming off of an incredible run in the playoffs, has carried his string of incredible display. With Luka performing at such a high level, the Slovenian team has also stepped up convincingly beating Japan and Argentina.

via Reuters

Spain meanwhile is laced with multiple veterans like Ricky Rubio and Pau Gasol. While they might not be the fastest, the European giants have showcased their experience and won their first two games. With two wins each, both Spain and Slovenia were fighting for the top spot in group C of the tournament and certainly the game was a must-watch.

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Luka Doncic and Slovenia stun Spain

The game got off to a competitive start as the Spanish team found a way to contain Luka. While Doncic struggle to hit shots, the supporting cast kept pushing through and at the end of the first quarter, Gasol and Co. took a 24-20 lead.

There was still no improvement in Luka’s night in terms of scoring, but the 2-time All-Star is a multi-level contributor on the court and certainly did so for Slovenia tonight. While he only scored 12 points in 2 of 7 shooting, Luka chipped in with 14 rebounds and 9 assists and was on the verge of getting a triple double.

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Despite Luka’s struggles though, Slovenia saw players like Vlatko Cancar who scored a game high 22 points. While the score-line was pretty much in the balance till with Spain leading the game 70-68 at the end of the third quarter, it was all Slovenia since then.

The game was headed to a nail-biter of a finish with 1:25 left on the clock. While Slovenia led the game 88-87, it was anyone’s game to win. But a 7-0 run by the debutants and Spaniards missing some crucial shots, Slovenia ultimately won the 95-87.

Twitter hails Luka and Slovenia for clinching the group

Basketball twitter were simply stunned to see how Slovenia beat a vastly experienced Spanish team. With Doncic putting an all-round clinic and the suppporting cast taking care of scoring the ball, Slovenia deserved the victory.

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With this win over Spain, Luka and the Slovenian team topped group C of the Olympics. With great shooting and underrated defense, Slovenia are truly becoming one of the biggest threats to team USA in the Olympics, Will Doncic and Co. win it all in Tokyo?

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Written by:

Aditya Mohapatra

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Aditya Mohapatra is a sports enthusiast who primarily covers the NBA for EssentiallySports. Having graduated in Mass Communication, he has prior experience in writing for ABP News, and has been writing for EssentiallySports since November 2020. This die-hard Los Angeles Lakers fan feels that LeBron James is the best thing to have ever happened to the NBA, and will hold a healthy debate with anyone suggesting otherwise.
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