After taking down Argentina to win their first-ever Olympic basketball contest, Luka Doncic and his Slovenian countrymen kept their momentum alive early Thursday morning by defeating Japan 116-81.
Doncic's point output was tame in comparison to his 48-point outburst against Argentina, but he still led Slovenia with 25 points, on top of seven rebounds and as many assists.
When Doncic wasn't knocking down big shots, dishing out assists or stifling enemy scoring opportunities, the 22-year-old Dallas Mavericks star kept the Japanese on their toes by drawing fouls seemingly at will. He led Slovenia with eight drawn fouls and knocked down seven of his 10 free throws.
Through just two games, Doncic has already logged 73 points in Olympic competition.
Doncic wasn't the only NBA player to stand out in this contest, though. Rui Hachimura of the Washington Wizards put together a stellar performance as well, leading the way for Japan with 34 points. The 23-year-old did an admirable job of matching Doncic's quality play early on, but Slovenia ultimately managed to pull away as the game progressed.
Hachimura's strong play notwithstanding, Japan didn't earn a single lead throughout the game. Slovenian rebound machine Mike Tobey, like in his performance against Argentina, was hugely efficient at limiting Japan's second-chance opportunities while maintaining possession for his teammates. He finished with a team-leading 11 rebounds.
Japan, still winless in the men's Olympic basketball tournament, will return to action early Sunday morning to face Argentina at 12:40 a.m. ET.
Slovenia will be back on the court early Sunday morning as well at 4:20 a.m. ET to take on Spain in their final game of the group stage.
Spain Takes Down Argentina
Spain and Argentina had a group stage tilt of their own Thursday morning, and Spain, which has won a medal in every Olympics dating back to 2008, took the contest by a score of 81-71.
Led defensively by brothers Pau and Marc Gasol, Spain managed to keep Argentina's offense largely contained and took complete control of the game by the time the fourth quarter began.
Offensively, Ricky Rubio shined with 26 points, five rebounds and four assists while shooting 62 percent from the floor.