By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Jamar Wilson scored the game-winning basket with five seconds left, Nando De Colo missed the shot to force a second extra period and Finland celebrated a 86 – 84 victory over France in front of thousands “Susijengi” fans in Helsinki.
The Star: Wilson (12 points, 6 assists) hit the shot that won the game but before him, but Lauri Markkanen had a leadership display for the Finnish squad, notching 22 points and 7 rebounds in his debut with the senior national team in a major tournament.
The Chicago Bulls big guy also showed his mettle during crunch-time situations, hitting five points at the beginning of overtime (with a lay-up and a downtown bucket) to give the “Wolf Pack” a valuable advantage for the remainder of the match.
Not enough: Evan Fournier had a late surge for France, setting a new international career-high with 25 points, including some big 3-pointers down the stretch, while Nando De Colo dropped 21 points (14 in 5 minutes of the third period) and grabbed 6 rebounds.
Numbers don’t lie: 23 turnovers from “Les Bleus” barred France from letting its offensive talent unfold.
(Photo credit: FIBA.basketball)