Doncic transformation paying off

NEW YORK -- Luka Doncic delivered another historic performance to keep Slovenia’s EuroBasket hopes alive.

The Los Angeles Lakers star recorded 26 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists on Sunday (Monday in Manila), powering Slovenia past Belgium 86-69 in Poland for its first victory of the tournament.

The win snapped a two-game skid and kept Slovenia in contention to advance out of Group B.

Doncic became just the fifth player in EuroBasket history to post a triple-double, joining Stojko Vrankovic in 1993, Toni Kukoc in 1995, Rares Mandache in 2017 and Mateusz Ponitka in 2022.

He also reached several milestones in the victory, surpassing 400 career points, 100 assists and 100 rebounds in EuroBasket play. He accomplished those marks in only 19 games, the fastest of any player in the 21st century.

“At this point, it’s normal for him,” Slovenia forward Edo Muric told reporters.

“He’s breaking records every time. But I’m even more glad we showed we can play good defense and get the win.”

Slovenia entered the contest as an 11.5-point favorite, according to Stake, a top-ranked sweepstakes casino site. They played true to their heavy favorite tag.

Belgium briefly led after the opening basket, but Slovenia controlled the game from there, with Doncic orchestrating the offense throughout.

“Every time he steps on the court, he’s proving his quality,” guard Aleksej Nikolic told BasketNews.

The win improved Slovenia’s record to 1-2 in group play. To advance, the team likely needs to sweep its final two games. Slovenia faces winless Iceland on 2 September before a decisive showdown against Israel on 4 September. The Israelis, the surprise contenders of the group, stunned France 82-69 to move to 2-1.

Doncic’s dominance has coincided with a notable transformation.

He dropped 31 pounds this summer through a strict regimen of intermittent fasting, cutting out gluten and processed sugars while maintaining a high-protein diet. His revamped plan, detailed in Men’s Health, includes almond milk–based shakes, plant-based foods and a month-long offseason break from basketball to recharge physically and mentally.

The results were evident. At 26 years and 184 days, Doncic became the youngest player since France’s Tony Parker in 2007 to reach 400 career points in EuroBasket play.

The triple-double came less than 24 hours after Doncic set another mark. In Slovenia’s 103-95 loss to France, he hit 19 free throws, the most ever in a single EuroBasket game. Muric said the slimmer, quicker Dončić has been even more dangerous on both ends.

“To me, he looked quicker, both offensively and defensively,” Muric said.

“But European basketball is harder than the NBA to score. I think the true him will be even more dangerous when we see him back in the NBA.”