Susijeng needs to win first against Japan on Sunday and Germany on Tuesday. In the latter, Finland probably needs a 15-point win to reach the top 16.
On the app and on the website, you can see live highlights of Susijeng’s matches and Lauri Markkanen’s matches at the World Championships. Finland will next face Japan on Sunday from 15:10.
After dramatic stages, Germany won the basketball World Cup with a score of 85–82 over Australia. This meant a nasty setback for Finland’s dreams of reaching the upper next group and the top 16 in the World Cup.
If Australia had won, Susijeng would have had to beat Japan on Sunday and Germany on Tuesday, regardless of the point difference.
Now Finland must first beat Japan on Sunday and then probably Germany on Tuesday with a difference of 15 points.
Of course, another option is that Japan surprises Australia in the final round. Then the point difference from a win over Germany wouldn’t matter, but a Japan win is not very likely.
Germany decided only in the last moments
The match between Germany and Australia was dramatic and exciting until the end. The game became a show of backmen. Australian Patty Mills scored 21 points and had 6 assists. Another Australian star Josh Giddey forged 17 points, but even that was not enough.
Of the rear men of Germany Dennis Schroeder bagged 30 points. As Australia began to catch up with Schröder, stepped forward Maodo Lo.
Petteri Koponen the former teammate from Bayern Munich scored ten points in the final period and was closing in on the victory in the final seconds. Led by Lo, Germany won the last period with a score of 23–16 and grabbed an important victory.
– I just tried to be a little more aggressive. It worked today. I was able to help the team. I’m happy about that, Lo acknowledged his performance at the press conference.
Germany had to play without their biggest star Franz Wagner, who injured his ankle in the opening match against Japan. Wagner had a very strong support in his leg on the bench during the Australia game. Germany head coach Gordon Herbert did not speculate on Wagner’s performance in the Finland game.
– We go one day at a time and take care of him. We’ll see what his situation is tomorrow, Herbert said at the press conference.
Challenging block
Susijeng’s World Cup preliminary group is considered the hardest level of the World Cup. Germany and Australia are both medal favorites at the World Cup. Australia is an Olympic bronze medalist two years ago in Tokyo. Germany, on the other hand, took bronze at the European Championships last year.
Despite a tough start, the team’s captain Sasu Salin set the goal of reaching the top eight in the World Championships. Last year Susijengi and Lauri Markkanen charmed when Finland reached the top eight in the European Championship.
Finland will face Japan on Sunday at 15:10 and Germany on Tuesday at 10:30. Australia and Japan will clash on Tuesday at 14:10. In any case, Finland has two games ahead of them in the World Cup after the match against Germany.
If Finland does not make it to the top two in its group, it will fight in the lower final series for a place in the qualification for next year’s Paris Olympics.
The opponents of both the upper and lower extension groups come from the second preliminary group played in Okinawa, where Slovenia, Georgia, Venezuela and Cape Verde will twist.
Finland’s place in the Olympic qualifiers can already be secured with a total of two wins at the World Championships, but with three wins the Olympic qualification spot should be in possession.
24 teams can qualify for the Olympic qualifiers: