Utah jazz ahead Laurimalkanen is without doubt one of the excellent performers at Eurobasket this summer season.
With Finland having a weaker roster than many different groups, Markanen needed to take numerous accountability.
Properly, he surpasses expectations by main his nation to victory over Sweden, England and Montenegro.
Nonetheless, the 7-foot ahead bumped into hassle in his newest sport towards Finland’s Lithuania.
Markanen had scored over 25 factors in every of the three Eurobasket video games earlier than enjoying towards Lithuania.
Lithuania held Markanen to 19 factors with 35% effectivity from the sector, profitable the sport 81-78.
NBA podcaster Adam Marless instructed Tim Legler that he reminded the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder to Nicola Jokic within the NBA playoffs.
“What made this sport attention-grabbing for me was Lauri Markanen scored 19 factors, 9 of which had been within the fourth quarter,” Marless stated.
“Lithuania switched all the pieces. It made a giant blowjob, (Jonas) Varanschna barely playable. He did not play numerous time as a result of he needed a switchable lineup so (Malkanen) could not run pick-and-roll and wiggles at no cost.
“They usually put him a little bit of a nasty Lithuanian Alex Caruso and stated, “You already know you beat him and get him bodily.”
“He simply acquired his physique. They introduced a person behind him, they usually pinched him, what the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder did to Nicola Jokic, and simply stated.
“And by the way in which, each time you get it to him, we will deal with this like wrestling and we dare to name it a foul.” It is extremely bodily and as nice as Lauri Markkanen is on this event, so I believed he had a great learn and did numerous proper issues, however he could not end the shot.
“He could not swing freely and struggled with that. He scored 10 factors within the fourth quarter.”
The Utah Jazz might presumably anticipate NBA groups to undertake the identical ways as Lithuania towards Markanen within the common season.
Regardless of combating Finland’s defeat to Lithuania, Markokanen remains to be extremely ranked for factors scored within the Eurobasket 2025.
Solely Los Angeles Lakers famous person Luka Donsic (33.0) has averaged extra factors per sport than Markanen (29.0) thus far.
| Rank | participant | workforce | sport | ppg | FG% | 3p% |
| 1. | Luka Donsic | Slovenia | 4 | 33.0 | 40.5 | 27.5 |
| 2. | Lauri Marcanen | Finland | 4 | 29.0 | 48.6 | 40.7 |
| 3. | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Greece | 2 | 29.0 | 74.2 | 100 |
| 4. | Jordan Lloyd | Poland | 4 | 25.8 | 57.7 | 61.9 |
| 5. | Dennis Schroder | Germany | 4 | 22.3 | 53.4 | 44.4 |
The Finnish participant has scored greater than perennial MVP candidates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic.
This might proceed the Finland knockout spherical and make a deeper development into the competitors.
