Swuul
Situational Stopper
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- Dec 28, 2021
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Lauri Markkanen will play on Thursday with Team Finland against Team Sweden. In Finland the match can be viewed on Channel 4, stream can be viewed on https://www.ruutu.fi/
Outside Finland the match stream can legally be viewed at least on https://www.courtside1891.basketball/ and other sites, and the Internet is of course full of sites which are not as strict about legal procedures. Highlights etc of the match can be viewed for free on the FIBA site https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/european-qualifiers
Neither Finland or Sweden are exactly Basketball super-powers. Still, Finland is leading Group C in the European division (having lost only one match, which was to Sweden), while Sweden has succeeded to win only two matches (of which the other was vs Finland). As it is in all sports, when Finland and Sweden meet, there is that extra special thingy going on, as both want to win against their dear neighbour (as the saying goes in both countries "It doesn't matter if we don't win this, as long as we don't lose to Sweden/Finland" (depending on if you are a finn or swede saying it)).
Both teams have an identity of tough five man defense, and both teams have some pretty decent 3p shooters (by European standards). In this spesific match Finland has an NBA level player in Lauri Markkanen, and Sweden should field Jonas Jerebko. Other players in both teams are either professional players from different European teams or players from USA Colleges.
Not exactly an all-star match to be expected thus, but it will be interesting to see Lauri Markkanen play in front of the fanatical Finnish home crowd again; it has been way too long for the Finnish fans, and I presume the crowd to be even more louder than usually (and the crowd is pretty loud even usually).
EDIT: Ah, Jonas Jerebko has been kicked out from Team Sweden already in March, as he opted to play in Russia for the rest of the season in support of Putin's war. Thus no big names playing for Sweden on Thursday.
Outside Finland the match stream can legally be viewed at least on https://www.courtside1891.basketball/ and other sites, and the Internet is of course full of sites which are not as strict about legal procedures. Highlights etc of the match can be viewed for free on the FIBA site https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/european-qualifiers
Neither Finland or Sweden are exactly Basketball super-powers. Still, Finland is leading Group C in the European division (having lost only one match, which was to Sweden), while Sweden has succeeded to win only two matches (of which the other was vs Finland). As it is in all sports, when Finland and Sweden meet, there is that extra special thingy going on, as both want to win against their dear neighbour (as the saying goes in both countries "It doesn't matter if we don't win this, as long as we don't lose to Sweden/Finland" (depending on if you are a finn or swede saying it)).
Both teams have an identity of tough five man defense, and both teams have some pretty decent 3p shooters (by European standards). In this spesific match Finland has an NBA level player in Lauri Markkanen, and Sweden should field Jonas Jerebko. Other players in both teams are either professional players from different European teams or players from USA Colleges.
Not exactly an all-star match to be expected thus, but it will be interesting to see Lauri Markkanen play in front of the fanatical Finnish home crowd again; it has been way too long for the Finnish fans, and I presume the crowd to be even more louder than usually (and the crowd is pretty loud even usually).
EDIT: Ah, Jonas Jerebko has been kicked out from Team Sweden already in March, as he opted to play in Russia for the rest of the season in support of Putin's war. Thus no big names playing for Sweden on Thursday.
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