'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
India continues to show that they have the talent to compete with the top teams of Asia, fighting Japan hard to a 83-65 loss. Both teams came into the game with a 1-1 record, with a victory over Malaysia and a loss to defending champions Iran.
India started off the game hot, with captain Vishesh Bhriguvanshi and Vinay Kaushik, hitting 3 three’s between the two of them. The open space was due to the added attention that big men Amritpal Singh and Amjyot Singh were given by the Japanese defence. With the outside shooting and tough defence, India was able to take an 11 point lead at one point in the first quarter, but Japan responded with excellent offensive execution and cut the lead to 18-15 in favour of India at the end of the 1st Quarter.
For the rest of the first half, the perimeter players of India held strong, keeping the team in the game as Amjyot and Amritpal Singh struggled to find their rhythm.
With fatigue starting to play its part, the Indian defensive intensity wasn’t there and Japan won each of the final three quarters to take the victory. Four Indian players played over 35 minutes each, which was the 3rd game in 3 days for the Indian side.
There are some building blocks for Team India as they continue to the second round, as they outshot a usually deadly 3-point shooting team in Japan, 40% to 29%, and kept the rebounding margin relatively the same (43 to 45 in favour of Japan).
India’s Big 3
India can stake claim to having some of the top firepower in Asia, as India’s big 3 had their best game as a group. Vishesh Bhriguvanshi continued his hot shooting and overall playmaking/leadership this tournament as he finished with 24 points (6 for 10 on 3 pointers), 8 rebounds and 5 assists, while big men Amjyot Singh and Amritpal Singh both finished with double-doubles with 19 points/10 rebounds and 12 points/10 rebounds, respectively.
With the extra attention Japan focused on the Indian big men, Vishesh was able to find his shooting touch early, leading to open driving lanes later in the game for himself and his teammates. Amjyot and Amritpal had a tough first half, but kept India in the game during the 3rd quarter with their physical play inside.
India have qualified for the second round of the 28th FIBA Asia Championship which starts on 27th September 2015, as 26th September is a rest day for all the teams. The opponent for the first match of Round 2 is not set yet, as India will play the top team in Pool B, which will likely be Palestine, who had the biggest upset of the tournament so far with a victory over Philippines.
Speaking about the next match, Captain Vishesh Bhiguvanshi stated, “You can clearly see there is talent here and that we are playing like a team. We will continue to push forward and play hard in the next round, regardless of the obstacles or the opponent.”
India (Vishesh Bhriguvanshi 24 pts, 8 rbs, 5 asts, Amjyot Singh 19 pts & 10 rbs, Amritpal Singh 12 pts & 10 rbs) lost to Japan (J. Takeuchi 22 pts & 19 rbs, M. Hiejima 19 pts & 6 asts, and T. Furukawa 15 pts) 65-83 (18-15, 14-24, 20-24, 13-20)
