Finland vs Hungary

Hungary stormed out of the gates. Zoltan Perl (23 points) and Adam Hanga controlled the first half, and the visitors built a lead that stretched to as many as 21 points. Hungary's offence hummed from deep, and Finland looked disjointed at both ends through the opening two quarters.

The Susijengi chipped away in the third quarter, tightening their defence and forcing Hungary into uncharacteristic turnovers. The margin shrank, but Hungary still held a 77-70 advantage entering the final period — and extended it to 82-77 in the closing minutes.

Then came the decisive run.

Finland locked in defensively, holding Hungary scoreless for the remainder of the game. On offence, they rattled off eight unanswered points — a game-ending 8-0 surge — to flip the lead and seal the 85-77 victory.

The game flipped in the fourth quarter when Finland switched to a more aggressive pick-and-roll defence, cutting off Hungary's driving lanes and forcing perimeter jumpers. Hungary failed to score in the final 3-4 minutes, and Finland capitalised on every empty possession at the other end.

• Mikael Jantunen was the engine of Finland's comeback — scoring inside and out, crashing the boards, and providing the defensive intensity that sparked the run. He was the clear player of the match.
• Sasu Salin led Finland with 18 points, providing crucial floor spacing and hitting big perimeter shots when the momentum was shifting.
• Zoltan Perl (23 points) was Hungary's primary threat, consistently finding gaps in Finland's defence through the first three quarters.
• Adam Hanga added veteran scoring and playmaking, but neither he nor Perl could stop the late-game collapse.

Finland's field-goal percentage (41%) lagged behind Hungary's (43%), but they made up for it at the free-throw line — shooting 87.5% compared to Hungary's 78.3%. The Susijengi also dominated the boards (38.3 rebounds per game entering the match, well ahead of Hungary's 30.8 average), turning second-chance opportunities into points when it mattered most.

The win keeps Finland in the hunt in Group G of the European Qualifiers. Both sides now turn their attention to their next fixtures, with Second Round qualification at stake.

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