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KATOWICE (Poland) – FIBA EuroBasket 2025 co-hosts Poland came up with a dream performance in front of a 9,337-strong crowd in Katowice’s Spodek Arena on Thursday, to erase a Luka Doncic monster showing of 34 points and celebrate a 105-95 victory over Slovenia.
Jordan Loyd had a EuroBasket debut for the history books and Mateusz Ponitka came up with an inspirationally heroic performance to gift the home fans the start to the tournament they had dreamt of.
Turning Point
After a balanced first half which Saw Slovenia claim their first lead of the night right before the break, the game momentum switched in favor of the hosts with the start of the third quarter. Poland went on a 15-3 run in the first four minutes to grab a 62-49 lead.
That inspired not only the packed Spodek Arena, but the Polish team as well. Propelled by Jordan Loyd’s scoring and Mateusz Ponitka’s leadership, they all contributed in the crucial win over Slovenia.
TCL Player of the Game
Three years earlier, Mateusz Ponitka had the best game of his life against Slovenia. This time he did not deliver a triple-double performance, but he still led Poland with an all-round showing of 23 points (on 8-of-13 FG) and 7 rebounds.
Jordan Loyd will never forget his FIBA EuroBasket debut. He’s now only the fourth Poland player to have made 5 or more three-pointers in a EuroBasket game since 1995, finishing with a team-high 32 points, on 7-of-8 from deep.
Despite the loss, Luka Doncic had 34 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds in what was his first ever EuroBasket game of more than 25 points and 5 assists.
Stats Don’t Lie
There is no place like home, and that also relates to Spodek Arena’s rims for Poland. The hosts shot excellently from beyond the arc (14-of-26), which made a world of difference against Slovenia’s 13-of-37 thre-point shooting on the night.
Poland’s winning debut at FIBA EuroBasket 2025 was their 11th game of 10 or more made three-pointers in the competition over the last 30 years.
Bottom Line
16 years later, Poland enjoyed another domestic win at FIBA EuroBasket. And what a win it was in Katowice. Igor Milicic’s team can build on it heading to their second matchup in Group D, against Israel.
Slovenia tried different solutions to contain their opponents’ flowing offense, even trying to go smallball halfway through the third quarter. Up next France, against whom they will need a wide range of adjustments too.
They Said
For more quotes, tune in to the official post-game press conference!
FIBA