Svetislav Pesic after losing to Slovenia: 'I am absolutely calm' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Serbian Basketball Federation Credit Serbian Basketball Federation

Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic provided a head-to-head matchup to be remembered last night. The two superstars combined for 60 points with Luka's Slovenia ultimately coming out on top.

Player of the Game EFF 39 Luka Doncic Points 34 Accuracy 11-20 Rebounds 6 Assists 9

Even though his team lost, Serbia national team's head coach Svetislav Pesic was calm after the match.

"This was a real spectacle, a full hall, proper cheering. Both teams gave their absolute best at this moment, there were a lot of good things from both sides," he said. "It is difficult to play against Slovenia because it is a team that plays mainly with four open players, they have extremely good shooters, and even [Mike] Tobey. Closing all those holes on the defensive end is not easy, but I think we did it well."

"The defensive effort takes a tally on your legs if you don't have enough strength in your attack. We are still not in playing condition, we missed some free throws and open shots, but I am absolutely calm because I know that our players will hit it as soon as we get into our game rhythm," Pesic explained. "We also lack a little freshness, because we trained a lot."

Luka Doncic with tennis superstar Novak DjokovicCredit Serbian Basketball Federation

Luka Doncic finished the game with 34 points on 11-for-20 shooting, making 8 two-pointers out of 11. He also grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 9 assists, and forced 9 fouls for an overall PIR of 33. Nikola Jokic was not far behind with 26 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 13 forced fouls for 31 PIR.

"I wouldn't talk too much about them. Two different players, they watch and play basketball differently, in the end, they play in different positions," the coach talked about the matchup.

"They are united by the fact that they are among the best in the NBA," the coach continued. "Luka is already a superstar and both of them will be champions one day. If they are healthy, there is no doubt that they will bring a lot of joy to their teams and countries."

EuroLeague Final Four MVP Vasilije Micic was second in scoring on the Serbian team with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. Talking about the game, the Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard was also calm and confident.

"It was a good test for us in this part of the preparations, we played well. Slovenia played excellently, especially Luka. Now we have to calm down, cool down, and prepare for the next training session," assesses the Serbian star.

Full game highlights:

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