Japan defeats Angola.
The Japan men’s national basketball team defeated Angola 75-65 in an exhibition game at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Friday.
Japan played two exhibition games last month in Seoul, South Korea, as it continues to warm up for the World Cup 안전카지노사이트 in late August. Japan, one of the co-hosts of the World Cup, recently went 1-1 in an exhibition game against New Zealand. Japan is ranked 36th in the FIBA rankings, while Angola is ranked 41st, both of which are competing in the World Cup.
Japan is missing NBA player Rui Hachimura from the World Cup. The game was also marred by the loss of another NBA player, Yuta Watanabe, who suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter. Watanabe returned to the bench to cheer on his teammates after the injury, but did not enter the game.
Japan did, however, have shooter Keisei Tominaga, who plays for the University of Nebraska in the NCAA. Tominaga, who was also a standout in the exhibition game against South Korea, poured in 20 points, including six three-pointers, to help secure the victory for Japan. Short guard Yuki Togashi chipped in with 13 points.
Tominaga, who hit a three-pointer from the opening tip, set the tone for Japan early on, scoring off a pass from a teammate after a clever cut-in. Watanabe and Togashi also scored, and it was all Japan early on.
However, Japan failed to capitalize on the momentum and conceded goals inside and outside the box to Angola. The first quarter ended with Japan trailing 14-16 as Angola managed to turn the tide.
The second quarter continued to go poorly for Japan, as Tominaga hit two three-pointers to turn the tide, but Angola fought back. After falling back to a double-digit deficit, Japan rebounded with back-to-back three-pointers from Togashi and Sohichiro Inoue. Hirotaka Yoshii added a three-pointer to the mix, and Japan went into halftime with a 32-36 lead.
The third quarter continued to be a tightly contested affair, with Japan unable to take the lead. That’s when center Koya Kawamata stepped up on both offense and defense to take the lead. After holding Angola scoreless for a long time, Japan ended the third quarter with a 51-49 lead.
Entering the fourth quarter, Japan was energized by Tominaga, who continued to shoot well. Tominaga was able to overcome the tight defense of her opponent and hit a series of near-magical three-pointers to widen the gap. With Yuki Kawamura on the perimeter, the game seemed to be tipping sharply in Japan’s favor.
However, the defeated Angola did not give up easily. They quickly closed the gap with a series of three-pointers and early offense. Japan then threw cold water on the opponent’s momentum when Togashi cleverly drew a free throw.
As Japan continued to score from the free throw line, a depleted Angola struggled to keep up. Finding some breathing room, Baba Yudai drove in a fastbreak layup to make it a 12-point game with two minutes left in regulation.
Japan was drawn in Group E with Germany, Finland, and Australia at the World Cup. It’s a tough group of opponents to overcome, but being the host nation and playing at home is a huge advantage.