Japan suffers a blowout loss to World Cup champions Germany.
Japan fell 77-97 to Germany in Group B of the men’s basketball preliminary round at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Sunday (Feb. 27) at Pierre Moreau Stadium in Lille, France.
NBA legends Rui Hachimura (20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists) and Yuta Watanabe (16 points, 2 rebounds) did their part, while Josh Hawkinson (13 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists) and Yuki Kawamura (11 points, 7 assists) also made their presence felt. But it wasn’t enough to overcome Germany, who won the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Germany was led by a double-double from Dennis Schroder (13 points, 2 rebounds, 12 assists) and strong performances from brothers Franz Wagner (22 points, 6 rebounds) and Moritz Wagner (15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists). A win in the first game of the group stage was a great start to the Olympics.
Japan got off to a good start. Watanabe and Kawamura cracked the rim with back-to-back three-pointers, while Hachimura also scored. Back-to-back misses from Schroeder and Daniel Tice were countered by outside shooting from Watanabe and Yuki Togashi, but a lack of control over Isaac Bonga and Moritz Wagner in the second quarter opened the gap. Japan, spurred on by Hawkinson and Hachimura, went into halftime trailing 44-52.
In the second half, Japan opened the offense with 파워볼게임 three-pointers from Watanabe and Hachimura. However, the scoring stagnated after that as the outside shots went silent. In the meantime, Franz Wagner and Nick Wyler-Bopp scored. Johannes Thiemann also scored in the final minute of the quarter, and the score remained 61-74 to end the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Japan’s offense remained frustrating. They tried to score consistently with three-pointers, but they kept missing the rim. Moritz Wagner, Thiemann, and Wyler Bobb all missed shots, further widening the gap with Germany. Japan gave it their best shot at the end with Kawamura’s three-pointer, but time ran out, and the Germans eventually fell to their knees.
Meanwhile, in the earlier game, Australia defeated Spain 92-80. Five players scored in double figures, including Jake Randale (20 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists), Patty Mills (19 points, 2 assists), and Josh Giddy (17 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists).
For Spain, Santi Aldama (27 points, 5 rebounds) struggled but was not enough on his own. The loss in the first game sets up a tough schedule ahead.