Japan lost to the Czech Republic 89-76 on Tuesday in their FIBA World Cup group stage match in Shanghai, China.
Rui Hachimura led Japan, scoring 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Nick Fazekas added 12 points and 10 rebounds while Yuta Watanabe scored 15 points. Japan shot a much better 55 percent from the field.
However, the Czechs did a superb job taking care of the basketball, turning the ball over five times. The Japanese, however, committed 14 turnovers. Japan finished the first quarter with an 18-all tie, but the Czechs’ depth came through in each of the remaining quarters.