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Scoring 40-plus points in a basketball game is rare enough. Doing it in just 23 minutes? That’s the kind of performance that leaves fans speechless. Lauri Markkanen pulled off exactly that in EuroBasket, torching Great Britain with an offensive display that looked effortless and unstoppable. Social media lit up in awe, with many calling it one of the most efficient scoring showcases they had ever seen, besides pulling off unique trade options.

Lauri Markkanen’s national squad, Team Finland, recently won against Team Great Britain at the EuroBasket 2025. Markkanen was the man of the night, as he recorded a whopping 43 points through 13-22 Field Goals, and 7/13 3-pointers. On top of that, the Utah Jazz star achieved this feat while playing for only 23 minutes. As a EuroBasket reporter said, Finland held the advantage, but was unable to shake off a Great Britain side that wouldn’t go away for most of the first half.

But this isn’t new. Markkanen has been leaving quite an impression over the last few months. Keyonte George said it best after stating that “The future is very bright. Lauri is a phenomenal player. He continues to do his thing and lead us, and me and Lauri understand what we want to do, and the whole team does too”. The player displaying his prowess, as it turns out, isn’t just limited to the NBA.

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Fans are already dreaming about what Markkanen could do in a bigger spotlight, whether alongside Luka Doncic in Los Angeles or Stephen Curry in Golden State, in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga, whose relationship with the Kerr camp is already in cold water. But it is clear that Markkanen’s performance won over the netizens, and it isn’t just experts but many fans who took to social media to share their genuine thoughts about where the star should be traded.

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NBA Fans Praise Lauri Markkanen After 43-Point Performance

One social media user wrote, “Lauri Markkanen is so damn good. Need to see him play for a winning team”.

This comment comes after rumors that the star player would be sent to the Los Angeles Lakers. In fact, Sports Illustrated Reporter Jackson Laudell put out a three-team trade proposal that would see the Hawks receive Jarred Vanderbilt, the Jazz receive Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber, Dalton Knecht, and an unprotected 2031 1st round pick (via LAL), along with an unprotected 2032 1st round pick swap. In turn, the Lakers would get Lauri Markkanen and Svi Mykhailiuk.

One individual reacted to a post that promoted a trade between Lauri Markkanen and the Sacramento Kings. The same saw Markkanen heading to the Kings in exchange for Zach LaVine and Devin Carter. The netizen reacted by writing, “Not giving up the future for Lauri markkanen we need as many picks as we can get”. As of now, no reported sites have speculated on a Lauri Markkanen-Zach LaVine exchange.

One social media user wrote, “Everyone knows that Finland is the Lauri Markkanen show, but he’s still be unstoppable. And I’m not sure there’s much you can do to slow him down when he’s playing at this level, anyway. He’s got 40 points in JUST 20 minutes so far on 12/20 shooting”.

In light of this praise, it is no secret that Lauri Markkanen is certainly the one player who has been on several teams’ radar. This also includes the Golden State Warriors since, as Sports Illustrated’s Alan Goldsher once said, “Golden State’s shooting guard situation hasn’t been optimal since Klay Thompson decamped in Dallas (Mavericks)”. In light of this, offensive firepower is needed to assist Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler.

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One individual wrote, “Lauri Markkanen in a Finland jersey is one of the scariest European players ever”. The same has been proven true by Markkanen’s recent performance and the previous ones of the EuroBasket 2025 series. When playing against Great Britain, his dominating performance crushed GB by 30 points (109-79).

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Before that, Markkanen scored 28 points in a 93-90 win over Sweden. As long as he plays, Lauri Markkanen might continue wearing the Finland jersey. However, the same cannot be said about him wearing the same NBA jersey in the future. One social media user asked, “What is Lauri Markkanen cooking?” Team Finland has now won both 2 of their main games. Therefore, for now, the thing being cooked could be a shot at the EuroBasket 2025 championship title.

Overall, the majority of reactions saw people being united in sending out praise to Lauri Markkanen. Whether the star’s performance will continue making Team Finland pass through the EuroBasket 2025 series is something that remains to be seen.

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