By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Lauri Markkanen had an enormous game against Croatia, helping his team get to the quarter-finals and making history along the way.
He had 43 points – a new Finnish national team record at a major FIBA event – 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 19/29 from the field, with 0 turnovers.
“It was one of those nights in which it looked like I shot the ball and it always went in. Great win, I’m just trying to do what the team needs me to do. We knew that we can beat everybody when we play our best basketball: Croatia is a great team”, he said.
Speaking about the next match against Spain, he commented: “We’re excited about the next matchup. We’re gonna start preparing for Spain, they’re a great basketball team. They know how it is. We’re going somewhere that nobody on our team has been before. But we’re really excited. We’re not done yet”.
Markkanen with his 43 points performance surpassed the 41 points of Giannis Antetokounmpo and he is only second to Luka Doncic (47 p.) on big scoring nights this Eurobasket.
And while Doncic, Giannis, and Jokic take the lion’s share of the spotlight, Markkanen doesn’t feel overlooked: “I’m just trying to help the team. I don’t really look at that stuff. It has been some scoring and making some right basketball plays. There are so many great players in this tournament. I’m just happy we’re still playing”.
After all thanks to Markkanen’s game, Finland managed to make the Eurobasket quarterfinals for the first time since 1967 and he is happy to do it, not only for himself and his team but also about Petteri Koponen who led Finland back to respectability before Markkanen and he is still along for the ride: “When I made the team in 2015 it felt great and unreal to being in the same locker room with him. For him to say that, it means a lot. He’s a legend”.
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL