JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) – Japan recovered from a shaky first half and erupted after the break to claim a commanding 99-68 victory over Syria in their Group B opener at the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 on Wednesday at King Abdullah Sports City.
Joshua Hawkinson delivered a monster performance with 26 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks, while Hirotaka Yoshii added 17 points, 4 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals.
Akatsuki Japan had to lean on a third-quarter surge that flipped the contest on its head. Trailing by nine at halftime, Japan found their rhythm on both ends in a runaway second half, outscoring Syria 67-27 over the final two quarters.
Things started brightly for the Japanese, who raced out to a 9-0 lead behind crisp ball movement and Syria’s early struggles finishing around the rim. But the momentum quickly shifted. Syria began to find their transition game midway through the first quarter and used a series of forced turnovers to trim the deficit to just one, 14-13, before Yuki Togashi’s late triple gave Japan an 18-13 edge after one.
The second quarter belonged entirely to Syria.
Keron Deshields caught fire, scoring 12 of his team-high 21 points in the frame as Syria went on a 19-4 tear to stun Japan and take control. Deshields controlled the pace with confidence, and Syria’s hustle plays extended their lead to as much as 10, 32-22. Japan responded with a short run to cut it to five, but Syria closed the half strong to head into the break up 41-32.
Everything, however, changed in the third.
Yoshii opened the half with eight straight points, slashing into the lane and hitting from deep to instantly cut the deficit. Hawkinson’s finish in the paint capped a 10-0 Japan run to reclaim the lead, and the floodgates opened from there. Japan's offense, once stagnant, flowed freely as they hit shots from all over the floor and suffocated Deshields defensively, holding him scoreless in the quarter.
By the end of the third, Japan led 60-51, and the rout was on.
Syria briefly stopped the bleeding with a putback to open the fourth, but Japan answered with a 13-0 burst that broke the game open for good. With Hawkinson dominating the interior and the bench providing a spark, Japan cruised through the final minutes, stretching the lead to 31 at its peak.
Deshields finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists for Syria, who faded after the break and struggled to respond once Japan’s defense settled in.
With the win, Japan (1-0) turn their attention to a much-anticipated clash with Iran on Friday. Syria (0-1) will look to bounce back against tournament debutants Guam on the same day.
FIBA