Finland will meet Spain in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at 18:15. Broadcast on TV2 and Areena at 6 p.m. Urheilu follows the European Championships in this article.
BERLIN. Lauri Markkanen has risen to the lips of many with his wonderful performances in the European basketball championships.
Suomalaištahti bagged no less than 43 points without losing a single possession. Such a high number of points without a single loss had not been seen in the European Championship for 25 years. Finland took a place among the top eight countries at the European Championships after a 55-year break.
On Saturday, the international media started to compare Markkas with the superstars of the European Championship and also with the biggest names in the NBA from Greece Giannis AntetokounmpoSlovenian To Luka Doncic and then Serbia, which was eliminated from the European Championships To Nikola Jokic. Markkanen and Finland’s head coach Lassi Tuovi got to answer whether Markkas is appreciated enough compared to the tough trio.
On Tuesday, Markkanes and Finland face an even bigger challenge when they face the reigning world champion Spain in the quarterfinals. The team is coached Sergio Scariolo. The 61-year-old Italian is one of the most successful coaches in national team basketball.
Scariolo has won three European championships at the helm of Spain in 2009, 2013 and 2015. Scariolo also led Spain to the World Championship gold in 2019. The 2017 European Championship became bronze.
Scariolo has coached at the top for over 30 years, so he is the right person to evaluate Markkanen’s level.
The experienced and successful coach gave Urheilu a high evaluation of Markkase.
– Of course Markkanen is a superstar. He even looks more athletic From Dirk Nowitzki in some glimpses, Scariolo compared and referred to the German icon.
Nowitzki is sixth in the NBA’s all-time scoring record. During his NBA career, Nowitzki won the championship once with Dallas in 2011. In 2007, Nowitzki was selected as the NBA’s most valuable player. He was selected to the all-star team 14 times.
Markskas and Nowitzki have been compared to each other for a long time. The most heated discussions were in the early stages of Markkanen’s NBA career. For example, coached both Henrik Dettmann signed up as the starter of the comparison discussion and talked about Markkanen’s superiority.
In recent years, comparisons between the two have decreased in public discussion, as the Finnish star’s career development in the NBA has not been rocket-like. Now, of course, Markkase and Nowitzki have the same point record in one match, i.e. 43 points. At the same time, more Nowitzki comparisons have come up, but Scariolo’s statement has so far been harsh.
Scariolo’s glowing didn’t end with the Nowitzki comparison, but he continued his incense.
– Markka is beautiful to look at. He is a fantastic player. It will be a pain for our players to defend Markkas. It is almost impossible to stop him in 1-on-1 situations, Scariolo beamed.
According to the legendary coach, Spain is not even planning to stop Markkanen.
– We know that he makes top-class performances. We are trying to stop Finland. They don’t just have Markkas.
After this, Scariolo praised the Finnish team as a whole.
– Finland has a wonderful system. It is quite original and atypical. We don’t focus like crazy on Markkas, even though we know he’s a world-class superstar. We focus on the whole of Finland, Scariolo said.
Spain has been in the quarter-finals of the European Championship 21 times in a row and is a perennial success in basketball. The last time Spain was left out of the top eight was in 1979.
Scariolo, who won the NBA championship as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, didn’t want to go out on the court in the lead-up to the game when he answered yet another question from the international media before leaving the arena in Berlin on Monday night.
– Success always just means that there will be tougher challenges. After the quarterfinals, the quarterfinals will definitely be tougher. Names and traditions mean nothing when you are participating in the Games. Traditions certainly matter before the Games, but history doesn’t matter on the field. It will be a tight match, Scariolo stated.
The story continues after the audio.
Finland is encouraged in Catalonia
Susijeng’s team also has two players who twist club team games in Spain: Sasu Salin and Elias Valtonen.
Since 2015, Salin has played in Spain, both in Gran Canaria, Malaga and Tenerife.
When Urheilu visited the European Championship hotel during the day on Monday, Salin had found familiar faces from the Spanish national team.
The Spanish team manager is the same gentleman who was in Malaga during Salini’s time. When the two met, they talked about everything else before basketball. For example, about family rumors.
– Really nice, good vibes. I think the Spaniards are happy to have Finland to welcome them. Hopefully they will be disappointed after the game, described Salin, who is currently playing in Tenerife.
Valtonen, who is starting his second season in Manresa after the European Championships, has also received encouragement from his club.
– There has been a message from the club management that they are waiting for me back, but they hoped that I would go as far as I can. Valtonen stated.
Part of Manresa’s team is even on the Finnish side, as Manresa is located in the self-governing region of Catalonia, 65 kilometers northwest of Barcelona.
– There have been messages from a few that Spain should win! They don’t even want to see me until next Tuesday after the Games, Valtonen blurted out.
Huff showed how self-confidence can also be seen in interviews
Against Croatia, Susijeng’s performances shone with enormous self-confidence in their own performance. Not only about Lauri Markkase, but also about many others. Sasu Salin scored 17 points alongside Markkanen.
In his best moment, Salin put the Croatian player on skates, so to speak, and scored a wonderful basket. He himself laughed on Monday that apparently something new was found in the gimmick bag.
Along with Salini and Markkanen Edon Maxhuni made some tough baskets against Croatia as well Miro Little and Henri Kantonen. Many players were at the upper limits of their current level.
According to Salini, the strong self-confidence stems from Susijeng’s good team spirit.
– We get along quite well. It helps quite a lot. You can say that we are a team with a capital J, says Salin.
A descriptive example of good spirit was also seen at the end of the interview.
Captain Shawn Huff interrupts Elias Valtonen’s interview and starts directing how to appear confident in TV interviews as well.
– Relaxed off the shoulders. You take such a powerful stance. It really makes a difference. Then exude self-confidence, Huff instructed.
Pretty cool bros.
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