Japan completed a 86:80 victory over Saudi Arabia at the Asian Games on Thursday, extending their perfect record in the tournament. The hosts had entered the match sitting in second place with three games played, while Japan led the standings with three consecutive wins.
By then the pattern was clear enough. Saudi Arabia had lost their previous five matches across all competitions, including two defeats to South Korea and a heavy 78:106 loss to Japan earlier in August. Japan, meanwhile, had won five straight — a 123:70 demolition of Qatar among them.
And here's the thing: this result didn't change much on paper. Japan remain top of the table with three wins from three, while Saudi Arabia move to two victories and a defeat. The points difference tells the fuller story — eight points in Japan's favour at the top.
To be fair, the scoreline itself was tighter than recent meetings between these sides. Japan had previously beaten Saudi Arabia 106:78 in late August, but this time they managed a more controlled performance without the lopsided margin.
The victory keeps Japan unbeaten in the Asian Games so far, while Saudi Arabia's struggles continue. They'll need the points badly if they want to close the gap on the leaders before the group stage concludes.