Basketball | A miracle was seen in Töölö – the grinding atmosphere ended, to the disappointment of the people of Helsinki, in a historic celebration

Basketball spring is yellow. It is the color of BC Nokia and the people of Nokia did a big miracle by winning the Finnish basketball championship in the full Kisahalli of Töölö.

BC Nokia knocked off the defending champion Seagulls 76-75, despite still being down 17 points in the third period.

The championship for the Nokians wouldn’t be a miracle in the world, but getting up from that losing position in a deadlock game was a magically great performance.

The whole team from BC Nokia succeeded when the challenge started. At the same time, the old master melted like ice cubes in the heat.

Tucker Richardson sunk important baskets, Both Gach was always dangerous as well as Patrick Tapé. There were others there, such as a substitute Hugo Boman and the captain Niko Mattila.

“I wouldn’t change anyone for next season if it was up to me. But the coach decides on these”, who runs BC Nokia’s office Hanna Pirhonen said in the middle of the final series. He meant the club’s confirmations.

Atmosphere and above all, the temperature rose to the readings of a European sauna in Kisahalli. It wasn’t blazing hot, but all the more grinding.

The race hall was so packed that the shortest and the smallest of the families had to squeeze into the front row of the stands to see something.

“I don’t know what happened in that game. We were like game seven in the semifinals, when we were on the bottom,” Nokia’s captain Mattila said and let Hugo Boman cut the basketball sock first.

“I trusted all the time. We have such a great team. We have trusted each other, and the faith has never stopped. That’s how the basket changes.”

Seagulls back player Lassi Nikkarinen was a contractor these days. He applied to the Faculty of Law on Thursday and was one of the workhorses of the settlement match.

Nikkarinen did everything possible on the field. He brought the ball up, built the game, shot and drove to the basket – and scored points.

In the second set, Nikkarinen single-handedly forged one period 8–0, turned the game around for his own team and set the stage for a breakaway. Eventually, everything melted and the championship evaporated.

A similar jolt came after the break when Lokit ran away. It looked final, but it was a bad mistake.

“We missed a few good throws and then the guy at the other end started hitting difficult throws”; Head coach of the Seagulls Vesa Vertio said, disappointed to lose a 17-point lead.

“There was still about a quarter of playing time. We didn’t make it, but it’s a pretty bitter way to lose. There was a mistake at the last second.”

Vertio added that disappointment is bad. “But I’m proud of all the players.”

Seven the final series of the match was well suited to this hot spring. When tie-breaks were drawn once in the semi-finals, why wouldn’t that have been done in the final as well.

BC Nokia withstood the pressure of the semi-finals, and so it succeeded under heavy pressure also at a crucial moment.

Two straight championships would have given the Seagulls a springboard to assemble a dynasty. Now it didn’t come.

Building an old-time dynasty in domestic basketball comes down to taxation. Clubs are almost forced to change American reinforcements after every season.

It avoids long contracts and thus heavy taxation.

The backbone of success is provided by US players or other foreigners. The share of domestic star players is often small.

At BC Nokia, the reinforcements were indeed core players and bearers of responsibility.

At Seagulls nationality played a big role. Leading back Lassi Nikkarinen, thrower Lake Okko and a big crusher Timo Heinonen could even play at the same time in the opening five. The situation was very rare in a successful club.

The Finnish trio also ran to the opening five in the seventh final.

Kauhajoki Karhu Basket was the closest to a dynasty when it played five times in the 2018-2023 finals. No less than three championships were won.

Glory dimmed this season, when no less than six American reinforcements were flown to Kauhajoki, which were put in the return mail before the end of the series.

The so-called Yankee roulette didn’t want to hit any of its spots, and it was reflected in the Bear’s season.

Despite the loss, the Seagulls’ foreigners hit for the second season in a row. Shavon Coleman represented full quality, so did Chuba Ohams.

René Rougeau has its own chapter. A fifth championship in five seasons was on offer, but now gold changed to silver.

Back man Alterique Gilbert gave Nikkarinen rest moments, but they were able to play at the same time. Playing with a short five brought good variations to the Gulls’ game.

BC Nokia finally won in this division as well – and won the championship.