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Luka Doncic falls to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece, ending Slovenia’s Olympic bid

Since last October, Doncic has played in 95 games with the Dallas Mavericks between the preseason, regular season and their NBA Finals run.

Luka Doncic’s quest for a trip to the Paris Olympics has come to an end.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece defeated Doncic and Slovenia 96-68 in the semifinals of the Olympic qualifying tournament on Saturday. The loss eliminated Doncic and Slovenia from the tournament.

It was the first meeting between Doncic and Antetokounmpo while they were representing their senior national teams.

Greece took control early, scoring the first 13 points of the game as it took a 32-14 lead going into the second quarter. Greece led by as much as 23 before Doncic and Slovenia finished the half on a 14-5 run to cut the deficit to 47-33. Greece continued to build on its lead and the game stayed out of reach for Slovenia.

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Doncic had a game-high 21 points to go with seven rebounds and five assists. He struggled to take care of the ball, as he had 10 turnovers.

Thomas Walkup had 19 points for Greece while Giannis added 13 in 21 minutes.

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“They played way better than us. They were way more aggressive,” Doncic said. “I think they have an amazing team. Obviously, they have Giannis. But other pieces are very important for them, too. And they’re very well-coached. ... They outplayed us today.”

The loss gives Doncic a well-deserved break from basketball competition. Since last October, Doncic has played in 95 games with the Dallas Mavericks between the preseason, regular season and their NBA Finals run. He also played in three Olympic qualifier games this summer.

Throughout much of his playoff run, Doncic was dealing with numerous injuries, including a right knee sprain, a left ankle sprain and a thoracic (chest) contusion that required pain-killing injections. Despite the injuries, Doncic was set on playing for Slovenia for a chance at an Olympic berth.

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“It is always an honor when I play for Slovenia,” Doncic said last month. “Whenever I can, I will play. I’ve been saying this all the time. It was really hard to decide to play now, because of the injuries and the length of the season, but here I am. It is an honor for me to be here.”

With his season officially over, Doncic will get a couple months to rest before the Mavericks regroup for training camp in September.

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