AS a trip to Paris beckons Japan, the Philippines bowed out.
READ: Lebanon joins China, Japan in win column after bringing down Ivory Coast
Just before South Sudan ended Gilas' Olympic dream, Japan zeroed in on an Asian spot at the Paris Olympics staked at the 2023 Fiba World Cup by beating Venezuela, 86-77, to begin the classification stage in Okinawa, Japan on Thursday.
Makoto Hiejima and NBA ace Yuta Watanabe combined for more than half of Japan’s scoring output with 44 points as the Akatsuki Five kept the lead in the Asian race for the lone outright Olympic berth with one match left against Cape Verde.
Meanwhile, China and Lebanon have both scored their first victories in the classification phase to stay in the hunt.
Should Japan run away with the Olympic berth, the second-best Asian team will consequently be rewarded with a spot in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
The scores:
Japan (86) - Hiejima 23, Watanabe 21, Kawamura 19, Hawkinson 6, Tominaga 5, Baba 5, Yoshii 4, Togashi 3, Nishida 0, Hara 0, Kawamata 0, Inoue DNP.
Venezuela (77) - Sojo 20, Colmenares 17, Zamora 12, Guillent 10, Sifontes 6, Materan 4, Cubillan 3, Chourio 3, Ruiz 2, Graterol 0, Carrera DNP, Vargas DNP.
Quarterscores: 15-19; 36-41; 53-62; 86-77.
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