Japan lost 86-67 to Turkey in their first group stage game in the FIBA World Cup on Sunday afternoon in Shanghai, China.
The Turkish raced to a 28-12 lead and never looked back. Two stats stood out. Turkey shot 52.1 percent overall while holding Japan to just 38.5 percent shooting overall. They also outrebounded the Japanese 44-26.
Ersan Ilyasova led the Turkish with 19 points and 10 rebounds while Melih Mahmutoglu added 17 points while shooting 7-of-10 from the field.
Washington Wizards rookie Rui Hachimura co-led Japan’s scorers with 15 points but he also shot 3-of-10 from the field.