“I don’t remember when I’ve seen something similar”

Finland meets the Czech Republic on Tuesday at 18:30. Live broadcast on TV2 and Areena at 18:10.

Susigengi experienced basketball through the strongest skill and power of Serbia, who were the biggest pre-favorites in their European Championship preliminary group. Serbia defeated Susijeng 100-70 on Monday night in the match played in Prague.

Denver Nuggets NBA star, twice named the league’s most valuable player Nikola Jokic and the attacking power of experienced Euroleague players was completely too much for Susijeng. The last time Susijengi had lost this badly in the prestigious championships was in the 2014 World Championships, when the USA won 114–55.

Sports expert Pieti Poikola tells why Serbia was unstoppable and what can be expected today, when Finland meets the host Czech Republic in a critical match for the next place.

Serbia is a combination of skill and speed of play, as well as brilliant execution of tactics. In the last European Championships, 2017, Serbia won silver and is again one of the biggest champion favorites.

– When a player receives the ball, he immediately knows where the next player is. Serbia is an incredibly good team to multiply the advantage. When an advantage arises, they never give it up, Poikola describes.

– The movement of the ball continues for so long that it is an easy place to throw. They tolerate that too, if someone has an even freer seat.

Generating an advantage is easy when players have such a huge individual skill level. The Serbians also have countless ways to create space with, for example, ball screens or quick attacks. Already at halftime of the Serbia match, Poikola sighed that “it was a wild basketball school for Finland”.

Susigengi ended up with mankel, which was a world-class combination of certainty, skill level, use of space and ball movement.

– Finland was stuck in such a feed mill that I don’t remember when we have seen something similar, sums up Poikola.

To top it all, Serbia’s finishing skills are at the top of the world. In the first half against Finland, Serbia’s shot percentage was 71.9, Susijeng’s 37.5.

In the second period, Serbia took a little off the gas, but the shooting percentage remained 57, Finland’s 41. The percentage of three-point shots was in Serbia’s favor 43–27.

Finland had a particularly good start to the match Edon Maxhunin and Lauri Markkanen with power, but the game turned quickly.

– When Serbia started to stir, Finland started to be timid and put its head down. The level difference grew bigger than it should have been when Finland’s courage to play ran out. Didn’t even dare to challenge. When you stand as a spectator against a team like that, that’s the end result.

In a positive sense, the performances of Markkanen and Maxhun stayed in Poikola’s mind. In the studio after the match, Poikola said that only Markkanen from Finland could fit into Serbia’s lineup.

– Markkanen showed that he can play and challenge even against a team of that level.

– Maxhuni started bravely. Finland clearly came to play for the win, until it was seen that there is really no game for the win here.

Although Serbia was tough as expected, special criticism can be given to Susijeng for their determination and courage after the opening moments.

– Finland lost some situations beforehand. They didn’t dare to fight and challenge. Sure, it’s difficult when you’re smaller and slower in most situations.

Today, Finland will face the Czech Republic in a match whose contributions cannot be overemphasized. Finland still has full chances for second place in the group, which would mean a good starting point for the quarterfinals.

It requires victories over the Czech Republic and the Netherlands in their remaining opening group matches, and for Serbia to beat Israel and Poland in their remaining games.

If, on the other hand, Finland loses to the Czech Republic and the other teams play as expected, Finland will finish fifth and out of the playoffs.

The Czech has a 213-centimeter set under the basket Jan Vesely, who moved to Barcelona in the summer. In the Turkish Fenerbahce, Vesely was selected as the Euroleague’s most valuable player in the 2018–19 season.

It is not certain whether the Czech star will play Tomas Satoransky, who returned to Barcelona in the summer after a six-year NBA stint. The ball player, who suffered from injuries, watched the match against Holland yesterday on the bench in civilian clothes.

Czech back man Martin Peterka is 205 centimeters tall and so are the other back players two meters on both sides. There are seven players over two meters tall on the Czech roster, the average height is 202 centimeters. In Finland, there are four two-meter ones, the average length is 197.

– It will be a physical game. The Czech Republic is a big team, with big and strong defenders. On the other hand, Finland has shown in this tournament that it can be sufficiently intense, Poikola estimates.

The expert believes that the victory of the Czech match will largely depend on rebounding and which team gets more stops in defense.

– When Finland gets to the open field through stops, then Finland is strong. The Czech Republic, on the other hand, is a controlled, disciplined team that is well organized in five-man play. If the Czech Republic can move the ball too easily, then they are strong.

Finland meets the Czech Republic on Tuesday at 18:30. Live broadcast on TV2 and Areena at 18:10.