Lauri Markkanen led the charge as Finland finally secured their first victory in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, overpowering Cape Verde with a dominant 100-77 performance in a classification round matchup held on Tuesday evening at the Okinawa Arena.
The standout forward from the Utah Jazz put on an exceptional display, accumulating a personal tournament-best of 34 points.
Impressively, he contributed 18 of these points during the initial half of the game, propelling the Susijengi to establish an early lead that they maintained throughout.
This victory came as a much-needed breakthrough for Finland, who had previously faced challenging defeats against Australia, hosts Japan, and Germany in the First Round.
Looking ahead, the EuroBasket 2022 Quarter-Finalists are determined to conclude their campaign on a strong note when they face the formidable Venezuela on Saturday at 16:30 local time.
Markkanen was a key contributor during a pivotal stretch that saw Finland conclude the first quarter with a commanding 28-16 advantage, a lead they never relinquished throughout the rest of the game.
Although Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks exhibited some signs of resurgence, particularly late in the second quarter thanks to efforts from Edy Tavares and Anderson Correia, their energy waned, likely due to the exhaustion from a demanding match against Slovenia less than 24 hours prior.
Markkanen exhibited impressive accuracy, converting 12 of his 19 attempts from the field and sinking 8 of 10 free throws.
His performance was well-rounded, as he also secured 9 rebounds, and contributed an assist, a steal, and a pair of blocks, all within nearly 27 minutes of playtime.
This exceptional showing led to an Efficiency (EFF) rating of 39, making him a deserving recipient of recognition for his contributions to the game.
Watch the game highlights between Cape Verde and Finland in the First Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023:
https://twitter.com/FIBAWC/status/1697184015516848484?s=20
