The wolf gang looked in a tight spot, what it’s made of. The team’s slandered players also showed their value in the victory, the kind that was last seen in the EC arena in 1961, writes Urheilu’s Roope Visuri.
3.9. 18:18•Updated 3.9. 18:20
PRAGUE. FINLAND! FINLAND! FINLAND! FINLAND!
The Finnish audience shouts what they can in the Prague Arena. The cottage is awesome. The decibels are high when a group of over five thousand Finnish supporters thank Susijengi for the victory.
A wild collective chant to the rhythm of woo ooo oo syllables started five minutes before the end and intensified until the final buzzer.
Finland beat Poland in style 89–59 in a tight spot on Saturday at the European Basketball Championships. With a loss, Finland would have been in a really tight situation in terms of future dreams.
The wolf gang once again showed what they are made of in the toughest moments. Now the situation in the group is open and the dream of further games and success there is still alive.
Finland shook the team’s bump, the 18-year-old Miro Little with a last-second donk, readings not seen in over 50 years.
During the European Championship streak that started in 2011, Finland has beaten Bosnia-Herzegovina with 28 and 29 points in the 2011 and 2015 European Championships, but now we went to a new top ten.
The last time Finland won a match by more than 30 points in the men’s European Championships was when England fell in 1961 in Belgrade by 33 points.
The criticized players also succeeded
The performance of the Finnish team was a perfect performance of the entire team.
Sasu Salin got into flamethrower mode after the more difficult Israel game. Ilari Seppälä came after Huil in the Israel game in style, Peter “General” Koponen bagged the three with the elegance of his nickname.
The successes of these two rear men in particular are hard considering that Koponen and Seppälä were already doomed, at least in the opinion of the top Susijengi fans.
You no longer have to shout from the pipe racks to come out Petteri, as at least the signatory was able to listen to in Espoo’s arena after the match against Sweden in June.
Then there’s more Lauri Markkanen. Imagine! There is a player in Finland who is fighting for the victory of the basketball king in the EC basketball championships. In the games where the NBA’s very best players are involved, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic.
It’s no wonder that in addition to Salini, Lauri Markkanen got his own name calling. Finnish fans gathered behind Markkanen as the Finn gave an interview to the International Basketball Federation broadcast. Lauri Markkanen’s shouts surely echoed to basketball fans around the world.
Markkanen sent praises to the Finnish supporters after the gesture.
– We have the best fans in the world. Not even two questions. They give an incredible boost, Markkanen told Urheilu.
The magic of a fan meeting
There is also an incredible magic behind Finland’s victory. So far, Finland has not lost a single EC game on the day that the Basketball Association has organized a fan meeting together with Finnish supporters at the games. Not today either.
However, according to Salini, the team had not really used the magic, because the team has eight first-timers in the prestigious competitions.
– We thought about not telling them about this magic. I, Shawn (Huff), Petsku (Koponen) and maybe Laurik also knew about this. The oldest wolves knew and it worked, Salin told .
However, Markkanen said he only heard about it after the game. However, he had a wish to throw after the game.
– We must have a fan meeting like this in connection with every game, Markkanen threw.
The fans who cheered merrily after the game certainly agree with that wish.