MUNICH (Germany) - Lauri Markkanen once again proved he's Europe's hottest hand, dropping 42 points to lead Finland past Poland 97-88, securing their third consecutive victory in their FIBA EuroBasket 2025 preparation campaign.
The Utah Jazz star was nearly flawless, shooting 10-of-17 from the field and an outstanding 19-of-20 from the free-throw line, while also collecting 12 rebounds in just 24 minutes of action.
Earlier this summer, Markkanen shattered the Finnish national team's scoring record with a 48-point outburst against Belgium, then followed it up with a smooth 31-point performance in the rematch.
Through three games, the forward is averaging 40.3 points per contest, putting him on pace to challenge some of the highest marks in EuroBasket history. Greece legend Nikos Galis still holds the competition record with 37.0 points per game, set in 1987.
Finland, co-hosts of FIBA EuroBasket 2025, will face Germany, Lithuania, Montenegro, Great Britain, and Sweden in Group B action in Tampere.
FIBA