Finland Surprises Serbia with a Stellar Performance by Valtonen
In an exciting round of 16 match of the EuroBasket tournament, Finland achieved a surprising victory over Serbia, with a final score of 92-86. The match, which was played in Riga, Latvia, saw Elias Valtonen emerge as the key figure, scoring eight crucial points in the final two minutes to secure the Finnish triumph. Despite Nikola Jokic’s outstanding performance, who led Serbia with 33 points, it was Finland that showed greater composure in the decisive moments. The Finns’ strategy and Valtonen’s execution were fundamental in countering Serbia’s attempts to take the lead. Serbia, after a six-point unanswered run that gave them a 77-75 lead in the final quarter, saw a three-pointer by Valtonen with two minutes left put Finland ahead 82-78. The Finnish player continued his streak with a basket and another three-pointer, solidifying the lead for his team.Jokic’s effort, including a three-pointer with 16 seconds left that brought Serbia within five points, was not enough to avoid the defeat. Finland secured the victory, marking their first win over Serbia since 2009. Lauri Markkanen scored 29 points for Finland, while Valtonen finished with 13. In the quarterfinals, Finland will face the winner of the match between France and Georgia. In addition to Finland’s victory, Saturday’s matches also saw Turkey, Germany, and Lithuania advance. In another match, Turkey defeated Sweden with an outstanding performance by Alperen Sengun, who scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. Germany, for its part, surpassed Portugal with a score of 85-58, while Lithuania defeated Latvia, with Arnas Velicka leading his team with 21 points and 12 assists. Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets showed his worth in the match against Sweden, while Cedi Osman of Turkey contributed 17 points. Germany overcame shooting woes, limiting Portugal to just seven points in the second half. Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner scored 16 points each for Germany. In memory of the victims of the tram accident in Lisbon, Portugal, a minute of silence was observed before the match. The remaining round of 16 matches will be played on Sunday.They played a great game. We weren’t ready from the start. I just wasn’t ready from the start.
Nikola Jokic
