By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Despite the absence of reigning MVP Sergio Llull, Real Madrid began the 2017 – 2018 EuroLeague season with a streak of four victories, thanks to the leadership provided by none other than Luka Doncic.
The 18-year-old “wonderboy” continued producing big, often mammoth numbers, but the “Blancos” soon collapsed under the weight of consecutive injury blows, watching nearly every single player on their frontline getting hurt. Real is now 5 – 6 but Doncic believes he and his teammates will be able to bounce back in a fashion that will give them a happy ending in the current campaign.
“I think we’re going to finish the season well. In the end, the important thing is how you finish and not how you start. So I hope it finishes well,” Doncic said during an event for a Real Madrid sponsor, per AS.
“We are having bad luck with injuries. We hope that everyone will recover soon,” added the Slovenian player and continental champion with his country’s national team in the recent EuroBasket.
Doncic, who’s projected as even the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, was coming off a career-high performance against Olympiacos in EuroLeague. A game where the Spaniards came back from a 13-point deficit to force an overtime but didn’t manage to finish the job.
The defeat didn’t allow Doncic to enjoy his record-setting evening. Still, he remained the EuroLeague leader in evaluation and scoring, now averaging 20.9 points and 27.8 PIR, together with 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
Real Madrid and Doncic will look to end their three-game skid, in the upcoming Clasico vs Barcelona, Thursday (14/12).