HELSINKI (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - Juho Nenonen bided his time and finally, at 30 years of age, played for Finland in a meaningful game in last month's World Cup Qualifiers.

The sweet-shooting power forward had 4 points and a team-high 8 rebounds in 16 minutes as Finland edged Bulgaria, 75-70, to improve to 2-2 in Group F.

Nenonen spoke to FIBA.basketball.

Did the World Cup Qualifiers experience live up to your expectations?
Playing for your country, everyone you know is there or watching on TV. The amount of messages and calls that I got after the game, it was amazing. The sixth man, the Susijengi fans, amazing. We have a great crowd where I play (Vilpas Vikings) but it's another level with the national team.

Whether it was rebounding, scoring or a willingness to draw a charge, you did it all for Finland.
We missed some guys, Erik Murphy (injured), Lauri Markkanen (NBA), Gerald Lee is now retired from the national team. We were shorthanded but it was an honor to be one of the guys to come to the rescue.

There was clearly an all-hands-on-deck mindset for Finland in that game.
There was excitement, also the sense of urgency, that everything has to be left on the floor. I felt it in the first half when I was on the court, I air-balled my first 3 but that was down to adrenalin. It gave me more than it took away from me.

“PLAYING FOR YOUR COUNTRY, EVERYONE YOU KNOW IS THERE OR WATCHING ON TV. THE AMOUNT OF THE MESSAGES AND CALLS THAT I GOT AFTER THE GAME, IT WAS AMAZING. THE SIXTH MAN, THE SUSIJENGI FANS, AMAZING. WE HAVE A GREAT CROWD WHERE I PLAY BUT IT'S ANOTHER LEVEL WITH THE NATIONAL TEAM.” NENONEN

You had been with Finland's national team before?
I had been in the squad before but it was the first game I played more than 10 minutes. I had been in the squad against Iceland (February 23) but didn't play. It was the first time when it really mattered. I was hoping to make the team last summer but I had groin surgery after the season and couldn't make it to the camp.

Mikko Koivisto also came to the rescue with six 3s.
Mikko has been struggling with a bunch of injuries. We're lucky that he peaked at the right time, getting in shape. I think he was percentage wise (63.6 percent), the top shooter at the EuroBasket (Koivisto and Poland's Lukasz Koszarek each made 7 of 11 ‎attempts ). He's just an amazing shooter, every time he has the ball, he has the possibility of hitting a 3-pointer. Every junior should watch what he does without the ball and how he gets open and how quickly he gets it off the ground. I don't think we would have had a chance without Mikko in that game.

Are you already thinking about the next window and facing the Czech Republic and Iceland?
Of course they are in the back of my mind when I go to the court and practice now. It brings some extra motivation to know that I'm in the discussion. I'm just trying to make it as hard as possible for coach (Henrik) Dettmann to leave me out. I'm really thinking about them when the camp starts, but they're in the back of mind all the time.

“THEY (INTERNATIONAL WINDOWS) ARE A BOOST DURING THE SEASON. I LIKE THIS, AND ALSO THERE'S SOME TIME OFF IN THE SUMMER. WE ALSO HAVE A GREAT GROUP OF GUYS WITH THE NATIONAL TEAM AND TO BE ABLE TO GATHER MORE THAN ONCE A YEAR, IT IS PRETTY COOL.” Nenonen

What was your impression of Bulgaria's Aleksandar Vezenkov?
I actually spoke to (Finland's) Petteri Koponen before the game. Petteri just told me not to let him go left and just hit him a little bit, he's a little bit soft. He wasn't really soft. He was a pretty good player. The good thing was that nobody else other than Vezenkov did a lot.

Koponen, Vezenkov's Barcelona teammate, wasn't in the Finland lineup but you and your teammates rose to the occasion.
We just have to go out there and give everything and not worry too much about who's playing, who's not playing. You have to see it as a possibility and not as a threat. It wasn't just me but Mikko and other guys, getting a chance to play more and show what they can do.

What do you think about the international windows?
They are a boost during the season. I like this, and also there's some time off during the summer. We also have a great group of guys with the national team and to be able to gather more than once a year, it is pretty cool.

FIBA