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Japan took a large step towards Olympic qualification on the Basketball World Cup on Thursday, whereas South Sudan and Egypt additionally gave themselves an opportunity of a Paris Video games berth.
Half of the World Cup’s 32 groups have already been eradicated from title competition, however seven Olympic locations are nonetheless up for grabs on the event.
The very best-placed finishers from every of Asia, Africa and Oceania will all qualify for Paris, together with the highest two groups from each Europe and the Americas.
World Cup co-hosts Japan had been the one one of many six Asian groups to take a win into the classification spherical they usually ended the day with two after roaring again to beat Venezuela 86-77 in Okinawa.
Japan had been trailing by 9 factors heading into the fourth quarter and head coach Tom Hovasse mentioned “it took guts” for them to maintain going.
“Nice win for Japan basketball,” he mentioned.
“We’re nonetheless studying and getting higher however these are the video games that it takes to proceed on this course of and proceed getting higher and higher.
“These sort of experiences are unbelievable for all of those guys.”
Makoto Hiejima led Japan in scoring with 23 factors, adopted by Yuta Watanabe on 21.
Japan additionally used a late comeback to beat Finland within the first spherical. Hovasse mentioned the house crowd had performed an enormous half in his group’s success.
“The followers had been simply superb,” he mentioned.
“With out them, I do not assume we win both of these video games. Their help was unimaginable.”
Japan will seal their place on the Paris Video games in the event that they beat Cape Verde of their closing recreation on Saturday, however China and Lebanon can be ready to pounce in the event that they slip up.
Each groups claimed their first wins of the event, China beating Angola 83-76 and Lebanon beating Cote d’Ivoire 94-84.
China, the place basketball is a nationwide obsession, had been underneath intense stress after dropping their three first-round video games.
Head coach Aleksandar Djordjevic urged his gamers to “simply go for it” of their closing recreation in opposition to the Philippines.
“I consider in them greater than they consider in themselves,” he mentioned.
“We simply must proceed believing in ourselves. I’d love all people to launch the dragon that they’ve inside, that’s wanted completely.”
Iran had been eradicated from the Asian Olympic race after dropping 82-55 to France, who qualify robotically for the Paris Video games as hosts.
Jordan are additionally out after dropping 85-69 to Egypt, as are co-hosts the Philippines, who misplaced 87-68 to South Sudan.
Egypt and South Sudan are the one African groups with two wins, placing them in pole place for the continent’s Olympic spot forward of Cote d’Ivoire, Angola and Cape Verde, who misplaced 100-77 to Finland.
South Sudan’s Carlik Jones got here inside one rebound of claiming the primary triple-double in event historical past, racking up 17 factors, 14 assists and 9 rebounds.
South Sudan play Angola of their closing recreation, whereas Egypt face New Zealand.
South Sudan head coach Royal Ivey mentioned his group “need extra.”
“My guys are resilient. They know the best way to work, they pushed for it. They fought day in, day trip, and we obtained right here due to the arduous work, the sweat fairness that we put in daily,” he mentioned.
“It is not over. We have one other recreation on Saturday, and my guys will not be content material.”
Within the day’s different recreation, between two groups who had already been eradicated from Olympic competition, Mexico beat New Zealand 108-100.
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