Slovenia's head coach explains why Goran Dragic played only 5 minutes / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Aleš Fevžer Credit Aleš Fevžer

Slovenia beat Serbia in a basketball spectacle last night. However, one question was roaming in basketball fans' heads both during and after the match.

With just 5 minutes of the first quarter elapsed, Goran Dragic left the court and did not return to the game. He missed the only three shots he took and managed to grab a rebound during this time.

"Everything is fine with Goran," Slovenia's head coach Aleksander Sekulic explained. "Even before the match, the agreement among the professional staff was that Goran would play only five or six minutes, and then he would get some rest so that we could time his form for the next matches. We don't want any unnecessary injuries to occur."

Despite playing only several minutes, his teammates seem to be happy with whatever time they can get with the national team's veteran. "Goran gives us extra energy and motivation. Every minute he spends on the court is important," Vlatko Cancar told after the game.

Slovenia has one friendly match left on their schedule before the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers - a matchup against Croatia on August 20th. Meanwhile, Serbia will travel to Germany to play in the SuperCup tournament with their first game coming versus Italy on August 19th.

Full game highlights:

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