USA vs Japan
Team USA faced their biggest test of the FIBA World Cup group stage against a tricky Turkish squad and very nearly failed.
Turkey had the defending champions on the ropes for most of the fourth quarter, but a combination of bad luck and poor free-throw shooting by the Turks saw them suffer an agonising defeat in overtime.
The win sees the Americans move on to the second round of the tournament. But they still have the small matter of Japan to take care of.
One of the US’s key players in Jayson Tatum also suffered a sprained ankle late in the game. With his availability now in question, other players in the squad will need to step up against the Japanese.
But even without their talented forward, the FIBA World Cup 2019 odds still have the Americans priced as heavy favourites in their final group game.
Talking Points
Other players will get their chance
The US will consider themselves very lucky to get past Turkey. They needed a foul on a Tatum 3-point attempt with 0.1 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. The Turks also missed four consecutive free throws in overtime that would’ve sealed the famous win. Instead, the Americans were able to rally and book their ticket to the next round.
After having few problems in their opening game against the Czech Republic, the Americans were just sluggish offensively against Turkey. They shot a mere 35 per cent from the field, including 14-of-40 on 3-pointers. Star guards Kemba Walker and Donovan Mitchell combined to go just 8-of-26 from the field as the Turkish zone defence stifled the American attack.
Still, a win is a win, and the Americans will look to get back on track in their final group match against Japan.
Even if his ankle sprain turns out to be mild, Tatum will likely still miss the game as a precautionary measure. That should open the door for the likes of Khris Middleton, who had a team-high 15 points against Turkey, and Tatum’s Boston Celtics team-mate Jaylen Brown to get more playing time against the Japanese.
Due to their lack of size and athleticism in the backcourt, the Japanese have been unable to stop opposing guards in this tournament. Middleton, Mitchell and Walker could end up having big games as a result.
Japan playing for pride
Japan are off to the 17-32 classification round of the FIBA World Cup after suffering their second loss of the tournament to the Czech Republic, 89-76.
The Japanese shot the ball well, going 55 per cent on 2-pointers, but they also had 14 turnovers to the Czech’s five and allowed 11 3-pointers.
The NBA duo of Rui Hachimura (21 points, six rebounds) and Yuta Watanabe (15 points, five rebounds) once again produced most of the FIBA World Cup 2019 highlights for the Akatsuki Five. Unfortunately, they haven’t received much support elsewhere.
After losing to the two other teams in Group E by double-digits, Japan’s chances of staying competitive against the US don’t look particularly great.
The Japanese just aren’t getting enough production from the other members of their team. It goes without saying that they will need a complete team effort to trouble the Americans, who possess depth at every position.
With the Americans possibly taking their foot off the gas just a little bit after sealing qualification, perhaps the Japanese can stay close if they simply outwork the defending champions. But even then, the disparity in talent could still be too large to overcome.
History
It’s been a while since the US and Japan met in a major tournament, but those encounters have not been at all competitive. Their last meeting came back in the 1972 Olympics when the Americans won, 99-33. It’s the largest of the US’s three Olympic victories over their Asian opponents, which have come by an average margin of 61 points.
This will be the two teams’ first-ever meeting at the FIBA World Cup.
What are the odds?
SBOBET odds have the US favoured by a whopping -28.50 over the Japanese on the Asian Handicap market, which should come as no surprise.
While the US had a tough time against Turkey, the Japanese don’t have nearly enough talent to cause the defending champions similar problems.
Moreover, the Americans will be eager to put their underwhelming performance against Turkey behind them and remind everyone that they are still the team to beat in the tournament.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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