On September 2, Beijing time, the 2023 Men's Basketball World Cup 17-32 qualifying group O, Japan 80-71 Lik Verde team, with a 3-2 record to lock the top of Group O, becoming the highest ranked Asian team in this men's basketball World Cup, with this direct access to the Paris Olympics.
Statistics
Japan: Hodkinson 29 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks, Keisei Tominaga 22 points, Yuki Kawamura 14 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals, Yuta Watanabe 5 points and 10 rebounds;
Cape Verde: Da Rosa 11 points, Lima 10 points, Eddie Tavares 11 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks, Will Tavares 7 points and 5 rebounds, Almeida 10 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals;
Before this round, Japan won 2 wins and 2 losses, with 2 wins against Finland and Venezuela, and 2 defeats to Germany and Australia. Cape Verde, on the other hand, won 1 and lost 3 before this round, with one win coming from beating Venezuela 81-75 and losing three to Georgia, Slovenia and Finland.
At the beginning of the first quarter, Hawkins made 2 of 2 free throws and Yuta Watanabe made 2+1, which gave Japan a 5-2 victory, but Cape Verde quickly returned with a wave of 6-0. Japan then fought back with a breakthrough layup with the ball, and Cape Verde scored 3-pointers from the outside by Will Tavares and Da Rosa, and when Almeida scored on a mid-range jumper, Cape Verde led by eight points at 19-11. At the end of the quarter, Japan instigated a counterattack, and Hodkinson and Tominaga hit three consecutive outside three-pointers, which led to a wave of 6-0 and successfully approached the score. In the first quarter, Japan trailed Cabo Verde by two points 17-19.
Entering the second quarter, Cape Verde felt cold and missed a lot in the opening period, and the Japanese team seized the opportunity to blast a wave of 14-5, during which Hogginson continued to score points on inside and outside, and Kawamura hit a three-point shot from the outside and then made it 2+1, and the Japanese team turned the tide by 7 points. Will Tavares and Gomez led Cape Verde to chase points, but Isaki Kawamura and Keisei Tominaga also scored points to help Japan stabilize the situation. In the following period, Keisei Tominaga hit consecutive outside 3-pointers to lead Japan to a 12-3 run, and Japan led 48-31 at this time. At the end of the quarter, Cabo Verde organized a new counterattack to get a little closer to the score. At half-time, Japan was 50-37.
After the Yibian rematch, Cape Verde scored four consecutive points from inside and outside in the opening period, and Japan immediately returned with jumpers, free throws and counterattack layups to make a 9-2 run to further extend their lead. In the following period, Cape Verde tried to instigate a new counterattack, but the Japanese team was full of fire from the outside, and Yuki Tomiken, Keisei Tominaga and Hodkinson hit three points from the outside in quick succession, and the Japanese team instantly extended their lead to 20 points. At the end of the quarter, both sides saw a drop in attacking field goal percentage, with only Gomez scoring a goal for Cape Verde. In the third quarter, Japan held an 18-point lead.
In the final quarter, the Japanese team was fully muted on the offensive end, missed multiple shots and frequently lost rebounds, Cape Verde seized the opportunity to shoot a wave of 13-0 inside and outside, closing the trailing point gap to 5 points. Japan broke the scoring drought by scoring a technical foul on Bijima, but Cape Verde quickly responded and trailed by three points when Eddie Tavares hit 1 of 2 free throws. In the final stage, Hawkinson played 2+1 to help the Japanese team stabilize the situation. Immediately afterward, Hodkinson hit another three-pointer. In the end, Japan beat Cabo Verde 80-71.
Both sides start
Japan Team: Yuki Kawamura, Shin Hieshima, Yuda Baba, Yuta Watanabe, Hogginson;
Cabo Verde: Mendes, Correa, Eddy Tavares, Will Tavares, Almeida;