(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Lauri Markkanen Scores 43 as Finland Crushes Britain at EuroBasket
Finland’s Lauri Markkanen delivered a sensational performance, scoring 43 points to lead his team to a 109-79 victory over Britain at EuroBasket on Friday. Remarkably, 29 of his points came in the first half alone, showcasing his scoring prowess.
Markkanen, who played just 23 minutes, matched his EuroBasket career-high for points, set in 2022 against Croatia. He was just four points shy of the all-time tournament record of 47, held by Slovenia’s Luka Doncic.
Finland now sits at 2-0 in Group B, alongside Germany and Lithuania, while Britain dropped to 0-2. The group stage is being played in Tampere, Finland.
Markkanen was nearly unstoppable in the first half, making 9 of 15 field goals and hitting five three-pointers in just 14 minutes. He finished with seven total threes, including one that extended Finland’s lead to 84-56 early in the fourth quarter. He spent the final 7½ minutes of the game on the bench.
Teammate Sasu Salin also contributed with 21 points, making 7 of 9 from beyond the arc, while Olivier Nkamhoua added 13 points. For Britain, Luke Nelson led the scoring with 13 points.
With Markkanen in top form, Finland looks well-positioned to continue its strong run in the EuroBasket tournament.
