MANILA: Luka Doncic argued with the referees all night. And that’s why he wasn’t around in the final minutes, as Canada clinched a trip to the Basketball World Cup semifinals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, RJ Barrett added 24 and Canada topped Slovenia 100-89 on Wednesday night. The win sends Canada into a semifinal matchup with Serbia on Friday. “It’s an honor,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after Canada’s first World Cup semifinal berth was clinched. “It’s an honor in itself.
But we’re not satisfied.” Doncic had 26 points for Slovenia, but was ejected with 6:37 left after picking up his second technical of the game — both of them coming after he argued with referees over calls or non-calls.
Slovenia were down by 15 at the time and wound up getting within nine shortly after Doncic departed, but it wasn’t enough. Doncic returned to the court, in flip-flops instead of sneakers, as time expired to congratulate Canadian players. “Playing for the national team, it’s a lot of emotions.