September 1 ------ For the second time in five days, Okinawa has borne witness to yet another extraordinary moment in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. Facing a dire situation in the last quarter, Japan orchestrated another miraculous comeback, this time astonishing Venezuela with a remarkable 86-77 come-from-behind victory, bringing them closer to securing a return trip to the Olympics.
Similar to their attention-grabbing upset against Finland the previous Sunday, the Akatsuki found themselves trailing in the final frame, this time by a 15-point deficit. Empowered by an enthusiastic sold-out crowd, Japan mounted a resilient charge to stun their opponents.
Makoto Hiejima stepped up in the clutch, sinking a crucial three-pointer that handed the Akatsuki a two-possession lead of 82-77, with only 47 seconds remaining in regulation. Subsequently, Japan continued their surge with a 4-0 burst, capped off by a Yuki Kawamura layup, firmly securing the victory on their home turf. They outscored Venezuela by an impressive 33-15 margin in the decisive quarter. Japan, ranked 36th in the world, also capitalized on 26 fast break points, a pivotal factor in their comeback.
Hiejima amassed 23 points, while Yuta Watanabe of the Phoenix Suns contributed 21 points and eight rebounds. Yuki Kawamura also played a crucial role in the comeback with 19 points. On the Venezuelan side, Garly Sojo led the scoring with 20 points, and Nestor Colmenares added 17 points.
With this victory, Japan has ascended to the top of the Asian rankings in the race to Paris, sporting a 2-2 record. This result virtually extinguished the chances of China, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iran from advancing, as all four nations would require substantial margins to surpass Japan.
Source: tiebreakers.com.ph
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