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Stunned: the Slovenian NBA star Luka Dončić and his team are eliminated against outsiders Poland
Photo: Maja Hitij / Getty Images
Defending champion Slovenia and NBA superstar Luka Dončić surprisingly failed in the quarterfinals of the European Basketball Championship.
After a bad start, the 2017 European champion lost 87:90 (39:58) against outsiders Poland on Wednesday evening in Berlin.
Dallas Mavericks pro Dončić, who had already scored 47 points in a game in this tournament, only had 14 points and was thrown off the field prematurely after his fifth personal foul.
The Slovenians disappointed across the board until the break.
Strongly playing Poland, overrun by Finland (59:89) and Serbia (69:96) in the preliminary round, led at times by 23 points.
Then the favorite increased and turned the game around in the third quarter (24:6), but the Poles fought back with their best thrower Mateusz Ponitka, who shone with a rare triple-double (26 points, 15 rebounds, ten assists).
'I played terribly today.
I failed my team and the whole country that supported us.
It's all on me.
I have to watch this game and get better," said the 23-year-old from the Dallas Mavericks after the surprising 87-90 defeat against outsiders Poland.
Before Dončić, top favorite Serbia with Nikola Jokić and the Greeks around Giannis Antetokounmpo were eliminated.
The three NBA top stars will therefore leave the final round in Germany without a medal.
In the semifinals on Friday (5:15 p.m. / Magentasport), Poland will face the French, who had previously beaten Italy 93:85 (77:77, 38:31) after extra time.
Olympic silver medalist France on course for a medal
One year after Olympic silver in Tokyo, France is on course for the next medal.
Rudy Gobert (19 points and 14 rebounds) and Evan Fournier (17) were in the quarterfinals in front of 6324 spectators - including Germany's captain Dennis Schröder - guarantors of progress.
Top scorer was Thomas Heurtel (20).
Led by the passionate coach Gianmarco Pozzecco, the Italians were unable to pull off another surprise three days after the spectacular coup against top favorites Serbia.
see/dpa/sid