Luka Dončić Praises Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as 'One of the Best Players in the World'

Luka Dončić may have been frustrated with the officiating in Slovenia's World Cup quarterfinal loss to Canada, but he came away with effusive praise for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

"Congratulations to Canada, they played great," Doncic told reporters after the game. "They have one of the best players in the world and it was really tough to guard him."

Gilgeous-Alexander was nothing short of brilliant in Canada's 100-89 win over Slovenia, dropping a game-high 31 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Dončić, who was ejected after drawing two technical fouls, had 25 points, five assists and four rebounds.

Gilgeous-Alexander made his first All-Star team and was a first-team All-NBA selection last season, averaging a career-high 31.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists while leading the Thunder to a surprising 40-42 record. He's also been a breakout star for Canada during the World Cup, leading his country to a semifinals berth for the first time in history.

"It's just a drive to win," Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters of his performance. "That's what we come here for. That's why I play basketball. That's why the team plays basketball. That's why you should play basketball. To win games at the highest level. Whatever it takes to do so at the end of the game is what myself and the rest of the guys try to do."

Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 25.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists across the tournament while shooting an efficient 54.7 percent from the floor. He's been able to dominate with his off-the-dribble attacking ability, already making his way to the free-thr-w line 54 times.

Canada enters its semifinals matchup against Serbia as a -5.5 favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.