TOKYO - Rui Hachimura poured in a game-high 30 points as Japan cruised to a 123-70 win over Qatar in the second phase of Asian qualifying for the 2027 Basketball World Cup on Monday.
Coming off a 29-point outburst away to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, the Los Angeles Clippers forward was once again virtually unstoppable for head coach Dai Oketani's squad at Toyota Arena Tokyo.
Hachimura connected on six of his eight three-point attempts and finished with 9-from-15 shooting from the field in 29 minutes
Akatsuki Japan led by 18 at the end of the first quarter and was never troubled the rest of the way, creating high-percentage shots with quick ball movement against the host of next year's World Cup.
Keisei Tominaga contributed 23 points, while Yuta Watanabe added 12 off the bench in his first appearance of the current qualifying window.
"It was a lot of fun," said Hachimura, who rejoined the national team this month for the first time since the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"I'm happy to play in Japan again after such a long time, and I'm truly glad we could get the win in front of everyone."
With records from the first qualifying phase carrying over, Japan improved to six wins and two losses in Group F.
The second phase of Asian qualifying features 12 teams divided into two groups, competing in a home-and-away format. With Qatar already through as host, seven other teams from Asia and Oceania will advance to the World Cup.
