Lauri Markkanen shines as Finland edges Sweden

Aug 28, 2025 12:42 AM

The stage was set in Tampere, where 11,865 fans packed the arena to see Finland begin their EuroBasket journey on home soil. What they witnessed was not a comfortable night, but rather a gripping Scandinavian clash that went down to the wire.

In the end, the hosts found just enough resilience to edge Sweden 93–90, thanks to their talisman Lauri Markkanen and the timely emergence of 18-year-old Miikka Muurinen.

Finland leaned on Markkanen’s star quality, as the forward delivered 28 points to lead all scorers. Yet the night was equally defined by the nerves and courage of Muurinen, who made crucial plays in the final quarter when the outcome was still very much in doubt.

Turning Point

The game unfolded like a prizefight, each basket answered by another as neither side gave an inch. Sweden briefly turned momentum in their favor in the fourth quarter, taking a 75–72 lead.

Just as the visitors threatened to seize control, Muurinen stepped up with back-to-back scores, steadying Finland at a moment of need.

Mikael Jantunen then buried a three-pointer from the wing, pushing the Finns ahead 86–81 with just over three minutes to play. Still, Sweden refused to fold.

Twice they clawed the deficit back to a single point, but Finland held firm at the free-throw line in the closing possessions to secure victory, sending their fans into celebration.

TCL Player of the Game

Markkanen showed exactly why he is the heartbeat of this Finnish team. Sweden’s defense crowded him in the first half, forcing him to earn many of his early points at the free-throw line.

But he still found ways to impose himself. An emphatic dunk to open the third quarter sparked the crowd and the team, setting the tone for Finland’s push. By the end, he had racked up 28 points, reaffirming his status as Finland’s difference-maker.

Support also came from Edon Maxhuni, who added 15 points in a gritty performance, while Sasu Salin chipped in 11 points along with seven assists.

For Sweden, Ludvig Håkanson carried the scoring load with 28 points of his own, including six three-pointers that kept his team alive until the last moments.

Stats Don’t Lie

The numbers underlined just how fine the margins were. Over 40 minutes, there were 20 lead changes, a testament to how tightly contested the battle remained. Finland’s biggest cushion came in the opening quarter, when they briefly led 21–13. After that, no advantage was ever safe.

Sweden actually shot the ball better overall, converting a superb 63 percent of their attempts. But free throws proved their undoing: they missed eight of their 17 opportunities from the line, mistakes that weighed heavily in a game decided by just three points.

Bottom Line

For Finland, the first hurdle has been cleared, but the test revealed both strengths and areas for growth. On Friday they will meet Great Britain, hoping to build momentum and improve to 2–0 in front of their passionate home crowd.

Sweden, meanwhile, showed enough quality to believe they can compete at this level, yet their next challenge is as daunting as it gets: world champions Germany, fresh off a dominant victory over Montenegro.

They Said

“We can do much better, but on the other hand, this is a typical EuroBasket opening game. We think about our past tournaments, I am very proud of our spirit, and we finally got our first victory,” – Lassi Tuovi, Finland head coach.

“Always the first games are a little bit tough in tournaments, we can learn a lot, and until the next game, we will prepare differently and be ready,” – Edon Maxhuni, Finland.

“I’m very proud of how we approached the game, and there were a lot of ups and downs, and it was a difficult place to play for us. We kept believing in what we do and the plan we made, and the guys were playing for each other, with 25 assists split between many guys. I’m also bitter that we put together a performance that’s good enough to win at this level but still can’t get the result,” – Mikko Riipinen, Sweden head coach.

“Happy that we fought from the first minute to the last minute, but our execution and some small details in the end of the game wasn’t enough,” – Viktor Gaddefors, Sweden.