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E-mail Xinhua, July 5, 2024
Luka Doncic scored 36 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and chipped in 10 assists to lead Slovenia into the semifinals of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) with a 104-78 victory over New Zealand on Thursday.
Slovenia will face host Greece, who defeated Egypt 93-71, in the semifinals. The other semifinal matchup will feature Croatia against the Dominican Republic.
After losing to Croatia 108-92 in their opener, Slovenia needed a win by at least 10 points to advance to the semis. They quickly took control, leading 12-2 midway through the first quarter, while New Zealand missed their first five shots and trailed 27-9 by the end of the first quarter.
New Zealand mounted a comeback in the second quarter, closing the gap to 44-39. Slovenia led 46-39 at halftime, a margin that would still leave them at the bottom of Group A.
Doncic, who scored 19 points in the first half, stepped up in the third quarter to lead Slovenia on a 16-4 run, extending their lead to 19 points.
Slovenia received additional contributions from Josh Nebo, who had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Klemen Prepelic and Gregor Hrovat, who each added 14 points.
New Zealand never reduced the deficit to less than 10 points in the second half and resorted to desperate 3-point attempts as time wound down. This allowed Slovenia to extend their lead to as many as 27 points, reaching 104-77 with 19 seconds remaining.
Slovenia could have finished atop their group if they had beaten New Zealand by 29 points or more. They fouled on New Zealand's next possession, sending Shea Ili to the free-throw line. Ili made one free throw, and Slovenia missed two subsequent 3-point attempts, finishing behind Croatia in the group.
"First we tried to win and our goal was to win by 10. When we saw that we had a chance again, we tried for sure. It's a little disappointing because we're not used to that situation," Hrovat said.
In Thursday's night match, Giannis Antetokounmpo watched from the bench as his team overwhelmed Egypt. Five Greek players scored in double figures, with Konstantinos Mitoglou leading the way with 16 points.
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