MANILA, Philippines – Save for the fans’ fervent love for Luka Doncic, it has been a brutal Manila experience for the Slovenian star.

Doncic and Slovenia remained winless in Manila as they got relegated to the playoff for seventh place in the FIBA World Cup after a 100-84 loss to Lithuania at the Mall of Asia Arena on Thursday, September 7.

The Dallas Mavericks hotshot finished with a game-high 29 points and 6 rebounds, but those were not enough against a hot-shooting Lithuanian side that fired from all cylinders en route to arranging a clash for fifth place with giant-killer Latvia.

Lithuania shot a scintillating 59% percent from the field and a sizzling 56% from three-point land.

Jonas Valanciunas showed the way for the Lithuanians with a 24-point, 12-rebound double-double, while Mindaugas Kuzminskas scored 14 points off a perfect 4-of-4 clip from beyond the arc.

Doncic and the Slovenians, who saw action in Japan in the group phase, will try to salvage their fruitless Manila trip as they face Italy for seventh place on Saturday, September 9.

Also set on Saturday is the battle for fifth between Lithuania and Latvia. – Rappler.com