MIAMI — The Slovenians stayed after the game, more than 30 minutes after, a scene unlike almost any other in American professional sports. They knew Luka Doncic and Goran Dragic would appear once more to send them off; they passed the time with cheers and chants. The AmericanAirlines Arena security staff looked taken aback; they had never dealt with this. When Doncic appeared from a tunnel and waved to his countrymen, they roared his name.



Thursday’s game between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat was, by basketball standards, relatively unimportant. For Slovenia, the enthusiastic Eastern European country several residents referred to as “small New Zealand,” this was her finest day. Goran Dragic sat out his matchup against Luka Doncic earlier this season due to an injury, but the two Slovenians – the only two currently in the league, but also the best two in the country’s history – faced each other for the first time on Thursday.