Japan on Monday suffered its second defeat in as many Asia qualifiers for the FIBA World Cup, a 14-0 final-quarter run allowing Australia to claim a scrappy Round 1 matchup 82-58 in Adelaide.
Facing its toughest Group B opponent, Japan was able to keep the game within reach for a time, but Australia's physicality on the boards and superior shooting gave it an ultimately clear win at home.
The FIBA world No. 9-ranked Australia, without any of its U.S.-based NBA talent, finished the game shooting over 50 percent from the floor and with a 48-21 rebounding advantage, an insurmountable combination that allowed it to stay unbeaten in its campaign to reach the 2019 World Cup in China.