HELSINKI (EuroBasket 2017) - Recently drafted as a lottery pick by the Chicago Bulls, Lauri Markkanen wears No.23 for Finland. The symbolism is striking and suggests a homage to Michael Jordan, the retired Bulls legend.

"I mean, my first game with the national team they just gave me that number," Markkanen told fiba.basketball with a giggle. "I can't wear that number in Chicago (Jordan's jersey is retired). He's someone that I look up to even though I didn't see his games but I've watched tons of his highlights."

Markkanen's jersey number may just be a coincidence, but his late game heroics in Finland's unforgettable upset over powerhouse France on Day 1 of FIBA EuroBasket 2017 was reminiscent of Jordan's finest in the clutch.

In front of a record basketball crowd in Finland of 12,167, Markkanen overcame a sluggish start, coming off the bench to fuel Finland's comeback and create bedlam inside Helsinki Arena. Finland trailed by 7 points with under 4 minutes to play and appeared headed for disappointment until the 20-year-old found his mark.

After starting 3-of-9 from the floor, Markkanen rediscovered his lethal stroke to hit six consecutive shots in a 3:35-minute stretch bridging the fourth quarter and overtime. His unconscious shooting display netted him a team-high 22 points to lead Finland past France 86-84 in a Group A upset, much to the delight of a delirious home crowd.

For such a young player - he's the youngest player in Finland's team by more than five years - Markkanen showed maturity beyond his years and thrived in the pressurized situation.

Amid such high expectations, a level-headed Markkanen says he relishes the challenges. "The pressure is always there no matter where I am playing," he says. "I just go out there and have fun and do the best that I can."

During his hot streak against France, Markkanen clearly enjoyed the situation as he impressively scored in numerous ways. Renowned as a lethal marksman, the 7 footer (2.13m) showed off his offensive trickery through a put-back dunk, jump hook, a left-handed finish, a pull-up jumper and, of course, a couple of trademark threes.

Often likened to Dallas Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki, Markkanen is modest about being compared to the German basketball legend but, similarly, his innate shooting skills make him almost impossible to stop - as France can attest to. "I don't have one player I model my game on," he says. "I just want to learn and get better. It's (shooting) not the key to my game but it definitely helps if the shots are falling."

Being picked at No.7 by the Bulls thrust Markkanen into the spotlight, magnified by the draft pick being the centerpiece of the Bulls' controversial trade of star Jimmy Butler to Minnesota. Perhaps unfairly, Markkanen will always be linked to Butler, adding more burden for the budding star.

In characteristically composed fashion, Markkanen remains unfazed by the white noise. "I'm not focused on that, I just want to keep improving all aspects of my game," he says.

Markkanen's offensive prowess is obvious but critics have questioned other parts of his game, particularly defense and rebounding. Against an imposing French frontcourt, Markkanen battled inside amid much physicality and grabbed a team-high 7 rebounds.

There were occasions where Markkanen was outmuscled by the bigger-bodied French bigs but, importantly, he never wavered on the defensive end. "Rebounding and defense are areas I want to get better in," Markkanen says. "There are a lot of big guys around, so it is something I'll keep working on. I think versatility is a strength of mine as I can play both positions (power forward and center) and I've also played guard and small forward previously too."

Sparked by Markkanen's brilliance, Finland have ignited local fans fueling genuine hope the Susijengi can make it to Istanbul. In their next game, Finland faces a tough clash against Slovenia, who ran by Poland on Day 1 with captain Goran Dragic starring. Slovenia was also boosted by the all-round play of wunderkind Luka Doncic setting the scene for a showdown between two emerging talents.

"He's a great player, I don't know him too well but he's definitely a talent," Markkanen says of Doncic. "I'm always excited to play basketball, I'm looking forward to it."

Intriguingly, Markkanen surprisingly started off the bench against France and played little of the third quarter. Of course, that strategy eventually played huge dividends but coach Henrik Dettmann was coy about whether Markkanen would be utilized off the bench against Slovenia.

"It doesn't matter who starts, it matters who finishes the game," Dettmann said after Finland's victory over France. "We'll see next game, I really don't think it matters."

Regardless, right now, Markkanen is a Finnish hero and his status will further grow if he can lead his team deep into the tournament. "I think we have a good team and we are confident," he says. "We want to get to Istanbul, that's one of our goals."

FIBA