Israel had hoped to finish first in Group 4 and needed a victory over Slovenia on Thursday, but Ariel Beit-Halahmy's men delivered their weakest performance of the EuroBasket so far, falling 106-96 to Aleksander Sekulic’s squad. Slovenia was powered by a massive performance from Lakers superstar Luka Dončić, who recorded 37 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists.
The loss came despite Deni Avdija setting a career-high for the national team, as the rest of the Israeli team struggled on both offense and defense. Center Roman Sorkin, in particular, delivered a poor first half.
Israel failed to contain Dončić, who dominated the court and led his team to a double-digit advantage against Israel’s porous defense. In the fourth quarter, Israel briefly cut the gap from a 15-point deficit to just five points, but failed to capitalize and saw Slovenia pull away again.
The positives for Beit-Halahmy were limited to strong third-quarter minutes from Guy Palatin and a solid fourth-quarter contribution from Khadeen Carrington.
Sorkin improved slightly in the second half, but Israel’s defensive issues—allowing 106 points—remain a major concern for the coaching staff.
As a result of the defeat, Israel finished fourth in the group, meaning it will face a tough opponent in the Round of 16—either Italy or Greece.
Italy easily beat Cyprus, leaving the top spot to be decided in a Greece-Spain matchup at 9:30 p.m. (Israel time). If Vassilis Spanoulis’ Greece wins, Israel will face them; if Greece loses, Israel will face Italy on Sunday.
Scoring leaders
Israel: Deni Avdija 34 points 9 rebounds; Roman Sorkin 14 points 11 rebounds (5/18 FG); Yam Madar 10 points 8 assists; Khadeen Carrington 9 points; Guy Palatin, Bar Timor, Nimrod Levi 6 each; Yovel Zoosman 3; Ethan Burg 0; Itay Segev 0.
Slovenia: Luka Dončić 37 points 11 rebounds 9 assists; Aleksej Nikolic 16; Rok Radovic 14; Alen Omic 11 points 10 rebounds; Gregor Hrovat 10 points 7 assists; Klemen Prepelic 8; Edo Muric 6; Martin Krampelj 4.
Game summary
Slovenia opened fast with a 5-0 run, but Avdija led an 11-2 run giving Israel the lead. Alen Omic off the bench challenged Israel on the boards, while Dončić, struggling from deep, scored efficiently inside to reclaim the advantage. Slovenia led 26-22 at the end of the first quarter.
Israel started the second quarter with four straight points to tie the game but then vanished from the court. Slovenia extended their lead to double digits, with Dončić dominating to reach 24 points 6 rebounds and 6 assists by halftime. Avdija was the only bright spot as Israel trailed 56-43 at the break.
In the third quarter, Beit-Halahmy inserted Palatin into the starting lineup, who contributed immediately with a steal and two three-pointers. Madar also set up five assists in the first two and a half minutes, including two for Avdija, who reached 24 points, a new career-high for Israel. The team cut the deficit to single digits when Dončić picked up his fourth foul, but Slovenia pulled away again, leading 79-65 going into the fourth.
Dončić sat at the start of the fourth quarter, and Israel—without Avdija on the floor—narrowed the gap thanks to Carrington’s strong start, scoring seven points. A three-pointer from Zoosman brought the deficit to five, prompting Sekulic to call a timeout. Slovenia responded, regaining a double-digit lead. Israel closed again to minus five but failed to convert, and Dončić and Omic expanded the margin once more. Israel ultimately fell 106-96 and finished fourth in Group 4.