Japan shocked Qatar in the FIBA Asia Championship quarterfinal on Thursday, using a 81-67 win to advance to the tournament semifinals for the first time since 1997 and move just two wins away from direct qualification to the 2016 Rio Olympic basketball tournament.
At a minimum the semifinal berth guarantees Japan one of three places in the pre-Olympic qualification tournament to be held ahead of the 2016 Olympics.
Japan rode scrambling defense to the win over its more highly-rated opponent, stifling Qatar's high-scoring backcourt while using excellent ball movement and pace to keep its offense producing points.