Israel upset France 82-69 in Katowice behind Deni Avdija's 23 points and 8 rebounds, with Yam Madar adding 17 and Roman Sorkin contributing 12. Risacher led France with 14 while Bilal Coulibaly faced foul trouble, stalling the French attack. Poland looms next for France in the group stage.

Fantasy-angle takeaway: Avdija's heavy usage and efficient scoring boost his international fantasy upside, while Madar's scoring burst and Sorkin's versatility offer opportunistic streamer value. Risacher and Coulibaly flashed upside, but minutes will dictate their ceiling as France negotiates rotations ahead of Poland.

Israel's depth forged the late run that sealed the win, underscoring the importance of rotations and usage in international windows for fantasy managers chasing multi-category contributions. Monitor how these players are deployed against tougher defenses and in back-to-back windows to gauge true fantasy upside.

Luka Doncic surged with 39 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, but Slovenia fell 103-95 to France as France's deep bench piled up 78 points to Slovenia's 26. Doncic hit 19 of 20 free throws, yet the onslaught from France’ bench and France’s 2-0 run in Group D left Slovenia 0-2. Poland’s Jordan Loyd poured 27 to edge Israel 66-64, while Nikola Jokic led Serbia with 39 in an 84-80 win over Latvia, cementing a knockout-berth with Serbia 3-0.

Other standouts: Sengun’s 20 by halftime powered Turkey’s 95-54 win; Markkanen posted 26 for Finland as they clinched playoff access; Germany’s Schröder (26) and Theis (23) helped Germany go 3-0; Greece’s Dorsey and Mitoglou each had 18. Spain’s Aldama led the defending champs as groups race toward Riga’s knockout stage.

Doncic poured in 34 for Slovenia in EuroBasket, but the opening loss to Poland (105-95) underlined Slovenia's depth problem and defensive gaps. His night featured a heavy free-throw load and visible frustration with the officials, a spark that helped Poland pull away late.

Slovenia’s lack of credible secondary scoring and a porous defense put Doncic under even more pressure. For fantasy managers, Doncic’s volume remains elite, but the team’s supporting cast and defensive stability will dictate the volatility of his fantasy nights in the coming games.

Poland exploited inefficiencies and shot well, highlighting how Slovenia must balance Doncic’s usage with better rotation and discipline. The tournament schedule ahead will test Doncic’s endurance and the fantasy appeal of his teammates as Slovenia tries to stabilize a shaky start.

Luka Doncic headlines EuroBasket 2025 as Slovenia opens vs. Poland, with Lakers leadership in attendance to show support ahead of the big events. Doncic just signed a three-year, $165 million extension and arrives in peak conditioning after a summer of intensive workouts. Slovenia faces a heavier load with several veterans out, while the tournament also features NBA stars Porziņģis, Jokic and Sengun. Courtside1891 streams the opener.