Luka Doncic, Slovenia Playing for ‘Self-Confidence’ in FIBA World Cup Finale

Mavs superstar Luka Doncic intends to play in Slovenia's final match of the 2023 FIBA World Cup — a matchup against Italy.

MANILA, Philippines — After Slovenia's 100-84 defeat by Lithuania, the team is scheduled to compete against Italy on Saturday. Given the stakes involve a chance to finish seventh among the top eight instead of a medal or Olympic qualification, will Luka Doncic play? 

"This is quite important," Doncic said of playing against Italy. "Especially in terms of self-confidence. We really had a lot of injuries, but we still have to show how we can play."

There were questions regarding whether Doncic would play against Lithuania given the team's loss to Canada in the quarterfinals occurring the day before. He went on to play 37 of 40 possible minutes on the second of back-to-back performances, finishing with 29 points, six rebounds, and two assists.

"There was no question at all," Doncic said of any doubt of him playing against Lithuania. "As I have said many times, whenever I can, I will play for the national team. There is no question for me. The crowd here is cheering for us, so the atmosphere is really great."

FIBA

Slovenia coach Aleksander Sekulic commended Doncic for finding the energy to play despite the quick turnaround from the Canada loss. Given Doncic shoulders such a significant share of the playmaking responsibility, the role he plays can be taxing as a result. 

"It was amazing," Sekulic said. "The thing that I liked about him, he came to me, he said, 'I'm ready to play. I'm fresh, I'm good, I'm great, I want to play.' I don't know where he got his energy from."

As the captain of Slovenia's team, Doncic remains motivated to compete, even though playing through the fatigue against Lithuania was difficult. He was commended by Sekulic for playing with the most energy on the court and attempting to motivate his teammates on the court, in huddles, and in the locker room. 

"This is the World Cup. We are in the top eight, I don't see why it should be difficult," Doncic said. "We tried, but it didn't work. For me, the motivation is to play basketball. Especially for the national team. It's true that we played for the second day in a row, it was very difficult to get our legs back, even to sleep yesterday, but that's how it is. I hope that we will play better in the next game on Saturday against Italy."

Doncic feels his team must improve defensively, especially when comparing the level of physicality and pressure they face from the opposition's defense. He described the unit as "too weak."

"We are simply too weak," Doncic said of Slovenia's defense. "We don't hit anyone, but others beat us all the time, you can see. Others press all over the court, but we are too soft."

Another element to consider about Doncic's continued participation is the chance he gets to perform in front of fans in the Philippines that otherwise would not get to see him perform. Especially after being ejected for the final 6:37 of regulation against Canada, Doncic, who played 37 minutes against Lithuania, clearly wanted to give the crowd a show after paying a premium to see him play.

"He probably appreciates the fans here because he has an amazing fan base and he had amazing support tonight," Sekulic said. "I felt like the crowd was cheering for us. It was a great feeling and I'm sure that's because of him. That shows a lot, about how serious he is when he plays for his country and that he plays with his heart. That's most important."

Sekulic made clear, the plan is for Doncic to play against Italy. It will not only be the final chance for the Slovenian superstar to play for his country until next summer at the Olympic qualifiers, but it'll likely be the last chance for many fans in the Philippines to see him play while being in attendance. 

"The plan is for him to play," Sekulic said. "I hope he's going to be ready to play."