Luka Doncic Received Injection for Injury During Slovenia's EuroBasket Exit to Poland

Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic has been starring for Slovenia in the FIBA EuroBasket 2022, but he didn't have his best showing on Wednesday as the team was eliminated by Poland in the quarterfinals.

After the game, Doncic revealed to reporters that he received an injection in the third quarter after being knocked to the floor earlier in the game.

Doncic, who said he has "been dealing with a lot" throughout EuroBasket, was limited to 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting in the 90-87 loss. He added 11 rebounds and seven assists but also committed six turnovers.

Slovenia, which was the tournament's defending champion, fought back from a 23-point deficit but couldn't complete the comeback as Poland advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 1971. Doncic was particularly unhappy with his individual performance.

"Today I played terrible," he said. "I let my team down, I let the whole country who was supporting us down, and that’s on me."

Entering Wednesday's game, the 23-year-old had scored over 35 points in each of the previous three contests. He came close to setting a new EuroBasket record with 47 points in a group phase win over France, the second-highest total in the history of European championships. Doncic ends the tournament with averages of 26.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists.

Any injury to Doncic is concerning for the Mavericks. Last season, he missed 17 games in the regular season and three more in the playoffs. The team went 10-10 in his absence, but this year's squad is less equipped to deal with him being sidelined for a prolonged amount of time.

Dallas lost point guard Jalen Brunson, its second-leading scorer last year, in free agency after he signed a four-year deal with the New York Knicks. In 2022-23, Doncic will be relied on even more than he already has been throughout his young career.

The Mavericks open their season against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, Oct. 19.