Following Japan’s loss to Germany in the opening match of the FIBA World Cup, coach Thomas Wayne Hovasse spoke to the media about the team’s performance.
Despite enjoying the support of a packed arena in Okinawa, Japan faced a formidable German team that displayed their superior quality on the court, ultimately securing a convincing victory.
“The game started with a lot of energy. We executed things from practice. However, when Josh Hawkinson got his second foul, and Watanabe, who hadn’t practiced for ten days due to an ankle injury, couldn’t perform at his best, losing both of them disrupted our rhythm,” Hovasse commented.
Germany heat up early, rout Japan in World Cup opener! ๐#FIBAWC x #WinForDeutschland ๐ฉ๐ช
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 ๐ (@FIBAWC) August 25, 2023
By the end of the first quarter against a strong German team, Hovasse stressed the importance of not letting the performance drop, as the opponents capitalized on every mistake. The halftime deficit of 22 points was a challenging position for Japan.
“In the second half, our goal was to win that period, and we succeeded. I believe we had good energy and were aggressive. Winning a half against such a team is something. The locker room atmosphere is positive. Despite an 18-point loss, we know they respect us. We missed a lot of open shots, but the tournament is just beginning. We need to stay positive. If we had made some shots, we would have brought the score to within 10 in the second half,” Hovasse continued.
Looking ahead, Japan faces Finland in the next round of Group E matches on Sunday at 2:40 PM. As the tournament progresses, Japan remains determined to improve and make their mark on the FIBA World Cup stage.