"Even after winning by 20 points against Korea, the coach scolded his players." Japanese coach issues stern warning... "We were overpowered physically; become fighters"

*This content was translated by AI.

Even after winning by a large 20-point margin against Korea, the Japanese coaching staff was not satisfied. Instead, they issued stern warnings to their players. And within just one day, that instruction bore fruit. Japan crushed Korea again in the second match by an even larger 29-point margin.

The Japanese Nam Ja-nong-gu (CEO) team defeated South Korea 95-66 in the second leg of a friendly match held in Japan on the 16th. Having already beaten Korea 88-68 in the first match the previous day, Japan completed the two-game series with victories in both contests. Both games were decisive wins.

For South Korea, the results were shocking. The 20-point loss in the first game was the largest margin of defeat in the history of men's basketball matches between Korea and Japan, yet just one day later, they wrote another dishonorable record with a 29-point loss.

On the other hand, Japan had every reason to smile broadly. However, Japanese head coach Dai Oketani held a different view. Despite the decisive victory in the first game, he was not satisfied with the team's performance.

That day, Sports Press JP reported that "Coach Oketani judged that his team struggled against Korea's aggressive physical play in the first match. Ahead of the second game, he instructed his players to 'become fighters'."

It further explained that "Coach Oketani pointed out that Akira Jacobs, who had limited playing time in the first game, fulfilled his role effectively in the second game, which was one of the factors behind their victory."

In fact, Jacobs played 27 minutes and 32 seconds, grabbing a total of 11 rebounds, including five offensive and six defensive rebounds. This was the highest rebound count for either team.

Japan displayed overwhelming performance even without its 'ace,' Rui Hachimura. Hachimura, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA, returned to the Japanese national team for the first time in about two years since the 2024 Paris Olympics. He made a strong impression by scoring a game-high 22 points in both teams during the first match but sat out the second game to manage his condition.

Additionally, Yudai Nishida (Shohoku Mikawa) and Keisei Tominaga (Revanch Hokkaido) were given rest for player protection purposes.

However, Coach Oketani brought out new cards even with key players absent. He activated a 'two-guard system' that deployed two ball handlers simultaneously, and this tactic proved highly effective.

Sports Press JP explained that "with players who were not in good condition unable to return, Coach Oketani chose this tactic to overcome the situation."

It further reported that "the first ball handler would create an initial crack in the opponent's defense; if they couldn't completely break it down, another guard would attempt a one-on-one attack to create a second, larger crack."

At the center of this was Yuki Kawamura (LA Clippers). Kawamura sank consecutive crucial three-pointers, crushing South Korea's will to chase. Despite his small stature at 170 cm, he possesses fast speed and excellent game management and passing skills, experiences that have allowed him to compete on the NBA stage.

After playing for the Memphis Grizzlies, he appeared in 18 regular-season games last season with the Chicago Bulls, averaging 3.4 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.8 rebounds over 11 minutes and 6 seconds per game. Recently, he signed with the LA Clippers and is once again challenging to make the NBA roster.

Sports Press JP stated that "Kawamura played a decisive role in controlling the flow of the game by nearly shutting down South Korea's scoring for the first five minutes of the match," adding that "Japan went on a 13-0 run early on, seizing the initiative from the start."

Kawamura was also not satisfied with the 20th-point victory in the first game.

After the second match, he said, "The task we set for ourselves was to 'fight properly until the end for all 40 minutes,' something we failed to do in the first game. In the second match, we were able to close out the fourth quarter decisively with a 25-12 score."

Ultimately, Japan identified its shortcomings even after securing a decisive 20-point victory in the first game and corrected them within just one day. In fact, in the second game, even without Hachimura, they widened the margin to 29 points.

This was a completely different picture from South Korea, which could not find any solution at all.

Even after winning both games, Coach Oketani remained unsatisfied. His focus had already turned to the teams they would face next.

The media reported that "Coach Oketani mentioned that Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the upcoming opponents, are taller than South Korea," and "he made it clear that he is not satisfied with the current level of completion."

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*This content was translated by AI.