In a friendly matchup against NBA All-Star Nikola Vucevic and the Montenegrin national team, Luka Doncic added to his collection of jaw-dropping international performances with 34 points, 13 rebounds, and 14 assists.
Doncic was tenacious in all facets of the game except from his free throw shooting.
At the оffensive end, he was unstoppable, setting up his half-court areas with deft hesitations and half-spin fakes.
Luka Doncic of Slovenia explodes for a triple-double in a win over Montenegro.
Doncic was also highly effective at the rim once he got there, finishing with ease despite having to contort his body around or bulldoze through the defense of Montenegro.
You can watch Doncic’s full game highlights down below, but keep in mind that his best play occurred with roughly 54 seconds left on the clock and the score knotted at 97 between Slovenia and Montenegro.
You can watch Doncic seal the deal for Slovenia with his trademark step-back three over the Bulls’ star Nikola Vucevic at the end of the clip.
Luka spent a significant chunk of the summer preparing for the World Cup with his personal trainer Anze Macek and the next training camp with the Dallas Mavericks, and it shows: he looks great.
So far in World Cup exhibition play, we are seeing how some of the benefits of Doncic’s improved playing weight are transferable. Doncic’s ability to speed up the game in transition after picking up a rebound or forcing a turnover was a major factor in him dishing out a game-high 14 assists against Montenegro.
In fast-break scenarios, where he frequently makes the wisest option appear like a no-brainer, he actively sought to create combative circumstances for the opponent. Doncic has excelled in two-on-one and three-on-two situations during summer preseason games.
With his improved stamina, he will be able to help the Mavs in the fall by pushing the ball at a higher clip with his great outlet passing and his dribbling in the open court.
On Saturday, August 12 at 2:30 p.m. central time, Doncic and Slovenia will take on Team USA, an opponent familiar to Mavericks fans. Jalen Brunson, formerly of the Mavericks, will start as point guard for the United States against Slovenia in their fifth pre-World Cup exhibition game.
Despite losing NBA champion Vlatko Cancar to ιnjury, Luka and the rest of the Slovenian national team will give it their all to upset a talented United States of America squad at home on Fox Sports 1.
It will be the second time since Brunson’s trade to the Knicks that Doncic has played against him, so Mavs fans won’t want to miss it.