Markkanen stars as GB drop to 0-2
Great Britain fell to a 109-79 loss at the hands of Finland in their second EuroBasket group game in Tampere.
Lauri Markkanen was unstoppable as he had 29 of his 43 in the first half, condemning Marc Steutel’s side to a 0-2 start in the tournament.
In their 100th official game in FIBA competitions since reforming in 2006 and coming off a tough defeat to Lithuania, Marc Steutel’s side were determined to bounce back and mark the occasion with a strong performance.
However, despite a spirited start, they found themselves trailing by 16 points at the break (58-42).
The hosts, led by an unstoppable Lauri Markkanen (29 points at halftime), took command of the game in the second quarter.
After the break, Finland tightened their defence, capitalising on turnovers to extend their lead to 25 points (81-56), effectively ending Great Britain’s hope of a comeback.
Luke Nelson led GB with 13 points, while Myles Hesson scored 12 points. Akwasi Yeboah and Tarik Phillip added 10 points each in the loss.
Once again, GB were dominated on the glass by Finland (42-29), which proved costly as Gabe Olaseni’s absence was further highlighted.
“Congratulations to Finland, an impressive offensive display, particularly Lauri Markkanen who caused us problems and scored 43 points,” GB Head Coach Coach Marc Steutel said.
“We have to try and find different ideas, different solutions. My team continually fights, continually battles no matter what. But, when you’re playing against a player of that level and he’s carrying the scoring load for a team like that, we have to try and be more effective.
“We’re going to keep fighting, I’d love us to feel like some of those 50-50 calls are going to balance themselves out over the course of the tournament.”
Additionally, Sasu Salin recorded 21 points for Finland showcasing an impressive efficiency from beyond the arc (7-of-9).
While Team GB’s first half showcased, some encouraging improvements offensively, they failed maintain their rhythm throughout the second half and crumbled against an experienced side.
The clash against Sweden on Saturday will now be pivotal to their qualification hopes.
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