Lauri Markkanen Scores 29 In Second FIBA Friendly
Aug 9, 2023, 6:46 PM | Updated: Aug 10, 2023, 10:36 am
SALT LAKE CITY – Lauri Markkanen continued his impressive run in FIBA play with a dominant performance against Estonia ahead of the World Cup.
Markkanen scored 29 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and handed out three assists in 28 minutes during the friendly exhibition.
The Utah Jazz forward led his native Finland to an 86-80 victory.
Lauri Markkanen doing Lauri Markkanen things 🥶💙🔥🐺
📷🎥 : @VilleVuorinen42 pic.twitter.com/h4CF79m2dN— Basket.fi (@basketfinland) August 9, 2023
Markkanen shot an efficient 10-14 from the floor including 2-5 from three, and 7-9 from the three-point line.
In his last outing, Markkanen recorded 24 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals in a win over Lithuania.
Finland and Markkanen will again face Lithuania on August 14 in their third FIBA tuneup before facing Latvia on August 16 to conclude exhibition play.
Markkanen Looks To Repeat FIBA Brilliance
The Finnish national team will compete in Group E against Australia, Japan, and Germany, one of the tougher draws in group play.
Markkanen will look to recapture the breakout performance he had last summer at the FIBA EuroBasket Tournament before joining the Jazz.
Lauri Markkanen is too cold 🥶
He dropped 34 PTS & 10 REB today to lead Finland to the W.#EuroBasket pic.twitter.com/jXQ73hNC6d
— NBA (@NBA) September 6, 2022
During the tournament, Markkanen averaged 28 points and eight rebounds including a 43-point outing in an upset win over Croatia.
The Finnish national team opens group play against Australia on August 25. After facing the loaded Boomers roster, Finland will face Japan on August 27, before closing group play against Germany on August 29.
Fellow Jazz teammates Jordan Clarkson (Philippines), Walker Kessler (USA), Kelly Olynyk (Canada), and Simone Fontecchio (Italy) are also competing in the FIBA World Cup.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.
