Luka Doncic spent all night arguing with the referees. And that’s why the Slovenian star was absent in the final minutes, which made it easier for Canada to qualify for the semi-finals of the Basketball World Cup.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, RJ Barrett added 24 and Canada beat Slovenia 100-89 on Wednesday.

The victory set Canada up for a semi-final match against Serbia on Friday. Germany and the United States will meet at the other crossing on the same day.

Early Wednesday, Franz Wagner scored 16 points as the Germans beat Latvia 81-79 to remain the only undefeated team in the tournament.

Doncic contributed 26 points for Canada. But the Dallas Mavericks star was ejected with 6:37 remaining after receiving his second technical foul of the game, both for complaints to the referees. Slovenia then lost by 15 points and managed to come back to nine points after the expulsion, but it was not enough.

Wearing sandals instead of sneakers, Doncic returned to the court at the end of the match to congratulate the Canadian players.

Canada also saw Dillon Brooks ejected for a technical foul shortly after Doncic left.

Slovenia was trying to reach a World Cup semifinal for the first time since declaring itself an independent nation in 1991. It will face Lithuania on Thursday at the start of the consolation round which will define the order of position of fifth to eighth place.

The victory was huge for Canada. Also for Germany and Serbia. Europe’s top two World Cup finishers secure direct places at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as Slovenia cannot go higher than fifth place. With Germany and Serbia at least fourth, these two nations will be in France next summer.

Slovenia will still have the possibility of going to the Olympic Games, but will have to play a qualifying tournament in July.

Canada won the Olympic silver medal at the 1936 Olympic Games. In 22 appearances in Olympic events or what is now called the World Cup, Canada has not reached the podium. Whatever happened during the rest of the tournament in Manila, the Canadians had their best World Cup performance: they finished sixth in the 1978 and 1982 editions.