Okinawa (Japan), Feb. 26 -- KINAWA, Japan, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- China fought back from a 14-point halftime deficit to beat Japan 87-80 here on Thursday, securing their first win in the Asian qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
China made a sluggish start in the opening quarter as Japan quickly took control through Yuta Watanabe's cuts to the basket and 3-point shooting.
Plagued by frequent fouls on defense, China sent its opponent to the free-throw line 14 times in the first quarter alone and trailed 21-11.
China briefly cut the gap in the second quarter with Liao Sanning creating chances off penetration and in transition, but a rise in turnovers allowed Japan to respond with another burst and stretch the lead into double d...