Basketball: Hachimura leads Japan to big win over Qatar in Tokyo
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Rui Hachimura poured in a game-high 30 points as Japan cruised to a 123-70 win over Qatar in the second phase of Asian qualifying for
Japan's national basketball team secured a dominant 123-70 victory over Qatar in the second phase of Asian qualifying for the 2027 Basketball World Cup on Monday, thanks to a stellar performance from forward Rui Hachimura. The Los Angeles Clippers player scored a game-high 30 points, including six three-pointers and nine of his 15 field goals, and contributed significantly to Japan's high-percentage offense.
Hachimura expressed his joy at returning to the national team after the 2024 Paris Olympics and praised his team's performance in front of a home crowd. Keisei Tominaga added 23 points, and Yuta Watanabe contributed 12 points off the bench in his first appearance of the current qualifying window. With Japan's six wins and two losses in Group F, the team advances to the next phase of qualifying, which includes seven other Asian and Oceania teams competing in a home-and-away format.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
