Finland advance to Round of 16 behind Markkanen double-double

TAMPERE (Finland) – Finland will move on to the Round of 16 after a hard fought 85-65 victory over Montenegro in front of a second consecutive 12,900 sell-out at the Tampere Deck Arena.

Joy for the hosts, but for the winless Montenegro side, desperation mode is creeping in as they must find a way to end their losing run if they are to advance.

Turning Point

After a cagey first quarter, which saw 11 lead changes and both sides knotted at 23-23, Finland took the initiative first with a 12-1 run in the second, highlighted by a thunderous slam by Lauri Markkanen, which he followed with a stunning spin move to the basket and score.

Montenegro would claw their way back, but the hosts maintained their double-digit stranglehold at the half thanks to a basket from Edon Maxhuni as the final seconds ticked away. From there, Finland’s lead would peak at 18 points en route to victory.

TCL Player of the Game

Following his 43-point outburst in the previous game against Great Britain, Markkanen was made to work hard for his 26-point haul against a courageous Montenegrin defense. However, the Finnisher sealed his place as the TCL Player of the Game with an additional 13 rebounds and a near-perfect 9-of-10 from the foul line.

Mikael Jantunen added 11 points in the victory for the hosts. Montenegro had a tournament-best performance from Andrija Slavkovic, as he poured in 15 in vain.

Stats Don’t Lie

Shooting a high percentage from inside the arc is a must if you are to win. Finland certainly achieved that by connecting on 67 percent of their attempts from two-point land. While Montenegro went a subpar 14-for-33

Bottom Line

Both sides enjoy a rest day on Sunday, Finland will look to their penultimate clash with Baltic giants Lithuania to maintain their momentum as they have one eye on Riga. Conversely, Montenegro take on Sweden and Great Britain in their final two games and must find at least one win to stand any hopes of progressing.

They said

For more quotes, tune in to the official post-game press conference!

FIBA