Inside The Jazz

Jazz F Lauri Markkanen & Finland Fall to Australia in FIBA Opener

The Utah Jazz All-Star couldn’t quite get the job done in Finland’s first World Cup game.
Jared Koch|
Jazz F Lauri Markkanen & Finland Fall to Australia in FIBA Opener
Jazz F Lauri Markkanen & Finland Fall to Australia in FIBA Opener

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Utah Jazz

The 2023 FIBA World Cup is finally underway after countless exhibition and preparation games leading up to the event. As for the Utah Jazz All-Star F Lauri Markkanen, things got started on the wrong foot.

The NBA’s Most Improved Player from last season unfortunately could not pull out a win for Finland in the team’s first game against Australia, losing 72-98. In a valiant effort, Markkanen posted 19 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, shooting 7/17 from the field.

Markkanen faced off against two former Jazzmen in F Joe Ingles (13p, 4r, 2a) and G Dante Exum (10p, 2r, 4a) in this bout where they made a combined five three-pointers in the process. Playing on an Australia roster with established playmakers like G Josh Giddey and G Patty Mills helps create some open looks for these guys.

A key factor in Finland’s loss came from the turnover battle, as Finland gave up an astounding 19 turnovers on the day compared to Australia’s 12. While Markkanen’s four assists did showcase some improved passing sense, it came at the cost of four turnovers as well.

Looking forward to the upcoming Jazz season, Lauri has to find ways to be more careful with the ball in his hands. Eyeing a potentially larger role as a creator and on-ball playmaker, being efficient, and limiting turnovers will be key in his development.

Finland will face Japan in their next group stage match on Sunday, August 27th at 6:10 AM MT/8:10 AM EST in Okinawa Arena, headlined by newly-signed Phoenix Suns F Yuta Watanabe. Markkanen and the rest of the squad have a crucial game ahead, needing to make up some ground in Group E after their Australia loss.

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Jared Koch
JARED KOCH

Jared Koch is the deputy editor of Utah Jazz On SI. He's covered the NBA and NFL for the past two years, contributing to Denver Broncos On SI, Indianapolis Colts On SI, and Sacramento Kings On SI. He has covered multiple NBA and NFL events on site, and his works have also appeared on Bleacher Report, MSN, and Yahoo.

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