Germany Women 74-58 Japan: World Cup victory confirms pre-match verdict
Germany Women beat Japan 74-58 in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup on Friday. The hosts moved through the game with a rhythm Japan couldn't match. It wasn't a blowout early, but by the end the margin told the truth.
And here's the thing about the first half—Germany's ball movement created something Japan simply couldn't contain. Twenty-one assists against seven tells you where the advantage lay. The home side worked their short corners and found space; Japan played isolate after isolate.
To be fair, Japan had their moments. They pulled up from distance more often, but only converted three of twenty-seven attempts. That's a gap that widens quickly. The Japanese defence worked hard—six blocks, eight steals—but without their shots falling it meant little.
We'd called for Germany to win before kickoff, 55 percent confidence. It came through because the Germans controlled the tempo and Japan chased. The prediction was there in the numbers: Germany's 8 offensive rebounds were a sign of what was to follow.
By then it was clear Japan had nothing left. They'd lost their last three away games and came in needing a statement. This wasn't it. The clean-sheet run came to an end for the hosts, but the result was never really in doubt.
The statistics paint a straightforward picture. Germany shot 26 of 63 from the field, Japan 22 of 68. More importantly, Germany's 8 offensive rebounds gave them second chances Japan couldn't get. The difference in assists—21 to 7—was the story of the night.