Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made his case for MVP, Dillon Brooks fed on the hate, and Canada got the win. For all of Luka Doncic’s fight, he couldn’t stop Slovenia from being eliminated from the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Was this a Lakers or Luka game?
The local obsession with Austin Reaves, purely because he is an LA Laker, has been something to behold. That only escalated with the opposite reaction for Dillon Brooks of Canada. He got booed whenever his name was announced or whenever he got the ball. His playing the villain against the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA playoffs made him the bad guy for the locals. When he made his first bucket, he turned to the crowd. Brooks leans in to the hate.
By contrast, Luka Doncic was beloved. Despite having no connection to Southern California or Manila, he was the man everyone wanted to see. Every touch got cheers. His feed to Aleksej Nikolic received roars. Then he made a three. We finally had someone bigger than Austin Reaves in Manila.
Largely to script early
Going into this clash, the expectation was that it would be close for the bulk of the game. We got exactly that and more. Luka Doncic was the man for Slovenia while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was that for Canada, as expected. Canada looked more capable of busting through in the paint, Slovenia found it easier to get room outside. Again, expected. It’s the type of situation that coaches neither love nor hate. It’s just what they have to live with.
There was one tweak that I didn’t see coming. Lugentz Dort entered in the middle of the quarter for Kelly Olynk. That made Canada a lot shorter while adding a touch of aggression on D. That hasn’t always been to his benefit. In each of his three appearances at the 2023 FIBA World Cup prior to this, he had four fouls. The calls are different in FIBA and Dort was struggling to adjust. He had two DNP Coaches Decision in the first phase. That may have been to keep him fresh but it points to the issues he has adapting.
A matter of balance
In EuroBasket 2022, Slovenia ran Doncic into the ground. By the quarter final stage, he was spent. This time around they have been much smarter with his minutes. He sat for the last minute of the first quarter. They kept resting him early in the second. Considering he averaged something like 37 minutes per game a year ago, this was extraordinary.
Slovenia hung well with Canada while Luka sat. A couple of deep balls ensured that manners were kept on their more star-laden opponents. One of the smartest things Slovenia has done is use Klemen Prepelic off the bench. He is easily starter quality for them but he offers a rare chance to keep the tempo up when Doncic sits.
Luka Doncic brought the fight but he also had plenty of frustration in Slovenia’s clash with Canada.
A deep ball barrage
Slovenia were expected to rely on threes but their success from deep early was the dominant factor in this game. In just the opening 15 minutes, they made 9 threes and they were spread around five players. The success rate at that stage, 64 per cent, essentially neutralised Canada’s obvious physical advantage.
The 10th three came from Doncic and he followed that up with a floater to put Slovenia back in front briefly. Brooks however was more than happy to get physical and bodied up Doncic a couple of times. Brooks knows the line and he steps right to it, now that’s a man who has adapted to FIBA basketball. At the half it was still largely what we expected. It was tight and Slovenia were in ride or die mode with Luka Doncic.
BallinEurope is ramping up its YouTube game this season. Subscribe to our channel now for player exclusives, analysis videos, and much more.
Somewhat foreboding
There was an errie sense of calm as the second half got under way. The arena was quiet and respectful for the first couple minutes. With the teams having been tied at the break, in easily the best half of basketball at the tournament so far, the locals needed a breather.
Then things looked serious. A mild groan filled the arena as Luka clutched his left arm in pain following a foul by RJ Barrett. He missed his next shot and looked frustrated out there. Canada pounced and went into the biggest lead of the day so far. At 59-52, Slovenia called a timeout and it felt rather necessary.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as a leader for Canada at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is inevitable
There’s an honesty to SGA when he defers. Throughout the game he barged into the paint and tried to outwit defenders. His brain was processing probabilities with precision as he rarely took a look that wasn’t there for him. Dillon Brooks may have been the engine for Canada but Gilgeous-Alexander was unquestionably its driver.
Canada secured the first double-digit lead of the game with a couple of free throws by SGA. At just the mid-point of the third, it felt like we had already reached the decisive point of the game. Slovenia had been reaching the red in fouls quickly throughout the game. Luka’s third with almost 5 minutes left in the third added to Slovenia’s issues as they hit the red once again.
Now there was an added bit of grit when SGA went into the paint. He has proven himself a leader for this side and was more than happy to beat Slovenia with 1,000 cuts. Luka was trying to work his magic but SGA had the response every time. A three, a steal, whatever was needed the Oklahoma City Thunder man was there to make it.
BallinEurope has a book, a real life actual book called I Like it Loud, and you can buy it on Amazon now. It’s here as a book and here in Kindle form.
So is Luka Doncic…to a point
With the game slipping away from Slovenia in the third, Luka sparked a furious rally. The gap was still far from ideal, trailing 80-71 entering the fourth, but it was manageable. A Serbian journalist told me something at half-time that stuck in my head. He said “Canada made one mistake. They made Luka mad.”
Furious as he may well have been, he is but one man. Canada had a fresher looking group of players and were willing to take a controlled approach to this. The Luka roar was loud but it didn’t have enough bite to tear through a battle-hardened Canada side.
The verdict
This was the type of focused and controlled performance Canada needed. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should be the runaway favourite for MVP of the 2023 FIBA World Cup after this performance but it was far more than him. Brooks, Barrett, and the rest all played their part in grinding down Slovenia.
They looked into the eyes of a team without fear and didn’t blink. This is a team built for the medal rounds. Now that they’re there, Canada should only settle for one colour.
Other notes
With Slovenia losing, the two automatic European qualifiers for the 2024 Olympics have been decided. Germany and Serbia both progress thanks to their wins over Lithuania and Latvia respectively. Canada and the USA had already locked up the two automatic spots for the Americas. Slovenia will instead have to go through the Olympic Qualifying Tournament next summer for a shot at playing in Paris.
Leave a Reply