Slovenia 94-70 Germany: 5 Takeaways as Luka Doncic and co. enter the semifinals of Olympics 2021

#3 Zoran Dragic was on fire

Zoran Dragic #30 drives to the basket against Danilo Barthel #22.

While everyone’s eyes were focused on Doncic, it was Zoran Dragic who led Slovenia in scoring with 27 points on a sizzling hot 11-of-13 shooting from the field. Dragic was the most consistent scorer on the court and his team would not have had the big win that they had without his deft shooting.

Goran Dragic imitates his brother Zoran. 😂 pic.twitter.com/E381Fhy4Fa

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) August 3, 2021

He also shot 5-of-7 from 3-point range, opening up the floor for Slovenia’s big men inside. Germany could not keep up with Dragic, who mixed up his offensive attack with drives to the basket and exquisite outside shooting.

With the game out of reach, it was Dragic who extended the lead further with two straight 3-pointers with less than three minutes remaining. His efforts gave Slovenia a 91-65 lead with 1:56 left in the game.

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#4 Slovenia owned the paint against Germany

Mike Tobey #10 grabs a rebound over Johannes Voigtmann #7.

Germany is a big team but Slovenia won the battle of the boards with a 40-28 advantage in rebounding. The biggest difference was in defensive rebounding, where the Slovenians had 31 defensive boards compared to the Germans’ 20.

Luka Doncic with a very casual no look pass over his head to set up a Mike Tobey three. Slovenia rolling toward the medal rounds. pic.twitter.com/NkjfVHgrs6

— USSportsbonus (@ussportsbonus) August 3, 2021

Slovenian big man Mike Tobey controlled the boards with 11 rebounds while also adding 13 points of his own (including two 3-pointers). He repeatedly created space underneath against a swarm of Germans to secure his double-double performance.

Doncic’s eight rebounds and Dragic’s six were of huge help to Tobey as the trio made sure they kept Germany from getting second-chance points.

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#5 Slovenia’s defense

From guarding the perimeter to protecting the shaded lane, Slovenia’s superior defense was one of the key factors in the game. Germany shot just 38.1 percent from the field and only 31.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Slovenia put up a defensive clinic against Germany, who had only two players score in double figures in Maodo Lo (11 points) and Niels Giffey (10). Lo was red-hot at the start of the second quarter as he led Germany to a comeback but his efforts came up short in the end.

Slovenia found a way to cool down Lo and frustrated Orlando Magic star Moritz Wagner into a 2-of-6 shooting night. Wagner finished with just nine points and five turnovers in a disappointing performance.

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