OKINAWA (Japan) - The Red Dragons finally showed up in the World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, registering their first win to deny Japan an early advance into the Second Round.
Riding on some phenomenal hot shooting in the second half, China extended their historic dominance over their East Asian foes.
China now holds a 20-2 record over Japan in major FIBA competitions dating back to 1936.
After struggling in the first quarter, China were able to get out in transition in the second quarter, to ease some pressure off their stalled half-court offense.
Led by Yuta Watanabe's passionate play, Japan initially led by double digits of as much as 15 points, before China started gradually working their way back in the second frame.
Turning Point
Third Quarter. After hitting only two of their first 11 attempts, China drained 5 threes in the third quarter to initially tie the game, and later wrest the lead for the first time.
Key Player
He Xining (CHN). It was Xining's quick triples coming out of the half-time break that sparked China's comeback. Xining was soon be joined by Zhao Jiwei (3-of-6 from beyond the arc), before big man Hu Jinqiu punctuated the paint, with a team-high 20 points and 12 rebounds.
Stats Don't Lie
Japan's free-throw shooting. 15-of-27 from the charity stripe simply doesn't cut it in a game when the final margin of defeat is 7 points.
Japan also misfired from distance, connecting just 5 times, compared to China's 9 treys.
Bottom line
Japan squandered a great opportunity to close an exceptional win over China at home. With Chinese Taipei also registering their first win over Korea, Group B has been thrown wide open, with all four teams in contention for a spot in the Second Round.
For the reigning Asia Cup 2025 silver medalists China, they have finally quieted their doubters and hopefully set their qualification campaign back on track.
They Said
"When we were down by 20 points, we didn't give up, we competed possession by possession. Japan had some main guys come back to the team and they're getting stronger than the last time. I think on the road, all we need to do is focus on us." - Zhao Rui (CHN), who eventually got fouled out of the game after collecting 4 fouls in the first 3 quarters.
"First half, we did play horrible because we didn't do two things well. First of all the players were a little bit nervous. Secondly, we didnt do well on the defensive execution, which is why we were down by a lot of points. At half-time in the locker room, I told my players we have to trust each other, trust our team and trust our Chinese Basketball." - China Head Coach Guo Shiqiang
"We have a great tradition of the national team from the old generation. So we got to believe in each other, pick up the intensity and guard the opponents according to the personnel. That's how we came back in the second half." - Coach Shiqiang, explaining his team's remarkable second-half turnaround
"First half we played well. Each individual had their strength. The ball movement was also good. We played at a very good pace but from the beginning of the second half, we committed too many turnovers. Overall, I think we lost the rhythm. We couldn't compose ourselves and then we couldn't come back at the end." - Japan Coach Dai Oketani
"As a leader with this team, I got to do better. When things start going bad, I got to be the one who talks to the team, who makes plays. I got to do more on the court." - Yuta Wanatabe, who scored Japan's first 5 points, only to finish with a meagre final tally of 13 points.
Watch the post-game press conference:
FIBA