Three wins in their first four, including a victory over France, had guaranteed Finland a place in round two even before they beat Hungary in Helsinki on 3rd July. However, with points carrying over into the second round, this contest was by no means a dead rubber, and the Wolfpack will be playing catch-up to France when the next stage gets underway.
This match was a battle for top spot in the group, but there was clearly going to be one winner from the off as France soared into a 31-16 lead at the end of the first quarter, before extending that to 49-30 at the half. Les Bleus put another 11 points between the sides in the third quarter, before Finland restored a sliver of pride in the fourth by taking it by one, by which time France were already celebrating what was a 98-69 win in the end.
Despite the final score, no one player dominated for France, for whom Elie Okobo and Maxime Renaud top scored with 16 points each, two clear of the Finns' most productive shooters, Lauri Markkanen and Mikael Jantunen.
Hungary finished third in the group above the eliminated Belgium. The three progressing sides will next go into Group L in round two alongside Estonia, Slovenia and Sweden. France lead the way on 11 points, one more than Finland, while the other four sides will all begin on nine points. The top three will progress to the 2027 Basketball World Cup, with Finland aiming for a third participation.
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