Perfect start for the Akatsuki Japan in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers after two big wins against Chinese Taipei.
It’s a home-and-away sweep for Akatsuki Japan to start the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
The Japanese bucked a slow start to turn back Chinese Taipei on the road, scoring an 80-73 win in Group B action.
With the victory, Japan joined South Korea as group leaders with identical 2-0 marks.
Japan took over midway in the second quarter then had a strong finishing kick, leading by as many as 12 points.
Yudai Nishida led the way with 18 points, while naturalized center Joshua Hawkinson played the whole game and finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Yuta Watanabe was also in double figures, going for 14 points and nine rebounds.
Chinese Taipei got 19 points from Justin Lu in the loss.