"Laker soon" - NBA fans react to Lauri Markkanen erupting for 43-point outing

Fans reacted to Lauri Markkanen's spectacular performance in Finland's EuroBasket 2025 win over Great Britain on Friday, in a tournament hosted by four countries: Latvia, Cyprus, Poland and Finland. In Finland, home fans were treated to a 43-point performance from Markkanen in a 109-79 win over Great Britain.

The NBA shared a highlight reel of the Jazz star's performance on X as he poured in over 40 points in 23 minutes.

"43 points ... in 23 minutes Lauri Markkanen's second-career 40-point @EuroBasket performance powered Finland to a W!," the caption read.

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

NBA fans reacted to the forward's sensational display.

"Laker soon," one tweeted.

Finland is staging Group B games at Tampere Deck Arena in Tampere, drawn in a pool with Germany, Lithuania, Sweden, Great Britain and Montenegro. Sitting third in the standings, the Finns have won both games.

In their opener against Nordic rivals Sweden, they narrowly pulled off a 93-90 thriller. Against Great Britain, though, it was one-sided, with Lauri Markkanen stealing the spotlight. Playing a little over 23 minutes, the star exploded for 43 points, shooting an efficient 59.1% from the floor and 53.8% from 3-point range.

Finland is tipped to advance from its group, with reigning world champions Germany standing as its toughest challenge. Next up, the Finns take on last-placed Montenegro, led by star big man Nikola Vucevic. A victory will give Finland the chance to secure its place in the Round of 16.

Finland's remaining games in EuroBasket as Lauri Markkanen leads scoring charts

Finland has thrilled home fans in Group B, picking up consecutive victories. After defeating Sweden and Great Britain in their opening two games, the team has three more games left in the group.

Next up, the Finns meet Montenegro before taking on Lithuania the next day. To close the group stage, Finland will battle reigning FIBA world champions Germany.

Lauri Markkanen stands as Finland’s lone NBA star and has been the team's standout performer. Averaging 35.5 points over the first two games, he leads the tournament in scoring and looks set to keep up his dominant form.

About the author

Arian Kashyap is a basketball journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience at Essentially Sports and Spice Bite and a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Sciences.

Arian's favorite team is the Miami Heat and it’s mainly down to Dwyane Wade being his favorite player of all time. Arian loved how explosive Wade was as a player and he had all the attributes, whether that be shooting, defending or passing. Arian really liked how he won titles both with and without a dynasty behind him.

Arian has also worked with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and was the manager for a Delhi-based women’s team called Garwhal Untied. Garwhal won the Delhi league and were runners-up during his tenure.

Arian has judged essay writing competitions for the Commonwealth Students Welfare Group of India in 2023 and was a part of the U-14 team for the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools academy that qualified for the AIFF Round in 2023.

When not working or watching sports, Arian likes riding his motorcycle and reading.

Know More

Los Angeles Lakers Fan? Check out the latest Lakers depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.

Edited by Bhargav