The Finnish men’s national basketball team succumbed to group jumbo Georgia 83-90 in the EC qualifiers in Espoo.
20:45•Updated 21:22
Susigengi lost to Georgia in the EC qualifier with a score of 83–90 (48–43) in Espoo. The defeat was the second for the Finnish basketball men in the EC qualifiers, the victory was only the first for Georgia.
– There were a little too many dark moments and that’s why we were behind. At the end, we got a good rise, but now we didn’t win, we threw four threes Sasu Salin comment.
Finland had previously beaten Denmark and lost to Serbia. As the tournament host, Susijengi is a sure team for next year’s EC tournament, where one initial group will be played in Tampere.
Serbia, Denmark and Georgia are fighting in the group for places to next year’s European Championships. One of these three countries will be out of the Games.
Playing in an upward direction, Georgia led for the first time in the match only at the beginning of the final period, sneaking to a ten-point lead in less than four minutes, 75–65. At the same time, Finland’s attacking play was stifled.
– For some reason, we started to slow down our game. Partly it was of course the friend’s kindness. They got to the free throw line well, and we lost balls. It’s hard to run the court when the opponent throws free throws all the time, the anchor of Finland’s big head Alexander Madsen stated.
Susigengi got promisingly within four points with just under three minutes left in the match. Elias Valtonen in the chase, a couple of threes and Olivier Nkamhoua one.
Nkamhoua narrowed it down to 78-80 after that, and Sasu Salin to 81-82, but the new Yankee signing of the Georgian team, the back man Chamber Baldwin sank a 3-pointer in a tough spot and took Georgia to a decisive 85–81 lead.
Edon Maxhuni missed his free throw at the end, and Suomen’s kiri was left with a torso. Georgia beautified the final numbers from a double line to 90–83. Georgia scored 15 more points from the free throw line than Finland – and with clearly better accuracy.
Fast-paced opening half – “A lot of good”
In the first half, Susijengi kept up the fast pace of the game, when the coach Lassi Tuovi ran a decisive exchange roulette with ten players.
Finland led the entire opening half and at its best in the second period with 13 points, but Georgia managed to break within five points with its good three-point play.
Nkamhoua was the home team’s top scorer with 22 points and ten rebounds. Alexander Madsen, who belongs to Susijeng’s experienced guard, collected 5/5/6s in the opening half with a triple plateau pace and finally a balance of 8/10/7s.
Other Finnish winners were Valtonen (14/8), Salin (15/1/4s), Maxhuni (8/-/10s) and Ilari Seppälä (6/3/2s).
Kamar Baldwin (23/4/5s) and Virtus playing in Bologna, sinking triples in the deciding phase Tornike Shengelia 24/6/5s was the power duo of the winners.
Susijeng’s head coach Tuovi saw a lot of good despite the loss.
– A varied match with a lot of good things. We put Georgia on the lead and this time we couldn’t turn the game around even though we were one basket down at the end.
– The style of play was what we want. Little things about our work and learning. The whole thing was really good. Olli’s clear improvement in Susijeng, praised Tuovi Nkamhoua.
The best Finnish player on European courts at the moment Mikael Jantunen was not available to Susijeng, as he was playing in the Euroleague in Istanbul at the same time as a member of Paris Basketball.
However, Jantunen is likely to be available when Finland meets Georgia in the European Championship qualifiers on Sunday.
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