→ Finland vs Great Britain will tip at Nokia Arena (Tampere) on Friday, Aug 29 at 17:30 EEST (15:30 BST).
→ Form check: Finland opened with a 93–90 derby win over Sweden, powered by Lauri Markkanen’s 28. Great Britain fell 70–94 to Lithuania, who controlled the paint and glass.

Finland - Great Britain — Nordic pulse vs make-or-mend

The Susijengi arrive humming: the ball zipped, the threes were timely, and Markkanen looked immediately comfortable toggling between post seals and face-ups. Great Britain’s first night told a different story—too many one-and-done trips, not enough control of the elbows, and a rebounding gap that snowballed after halftime. There isn’t much recent top-stage head-to-head to lean on, which keeps this one honest: if GB stabilize the possession game, it becomes tactics over talent; if not, the hosts can let the building do some scoring for them.

Finland - pace with poise, Markkanen as a sorting hat

Expect early drag screens into five-out and quick second-side actions. When the first helper shows, Finland punish with feet-set threes; when it doesn’t, Markkanen goes through or around you. The defense is built to run off misses—one hit-ahead, one trail, and you’re guarding a different action than the one you planned for.

Great Britain - own the boring stuff, then breathe

The roadmap is simple and demanding: first-shot stops, controlled outlets, and inside-out touches that force rotations instead of late-clock pull-ups. If GB can lift their defensive rebound rate and keep turnovers tidy, Finland’s runway shortens and their half-court gets thicker.

Pressure points that decide it

• Glass parity: neutral on the boards keeps GB attached and shrinks Finland’s transition edge.

• Markkanen math: show-and-recover without surrendering the corners; late tags = automatic sprays.

• First 8 seconds: Finland want decisions before the set is built; GB need to park bodies at the nail and make the ball reverse.

Stakes

A 2–0 start keeps Finland on schedule for a top seed and a manageable knockout draw. For Great Britain, a split across the first two days resets the week and reopens last-16 math.

How to watch Finland vs Great Britain

Stream Finland vs Great Britain live on Courtside 1891 and choose between the Max Event Pass (all EuroBasket games in this event window) or Max Annual (a full year of Courtside 1891 Max across FIBA events, including EuroBasket). Regional availability and blackouts may apply.