The Japan men's national basketball team's bizarre, unprecedented journey at the Asian Games is nearly — and finally — coming to an end.
The Akatsuki Five, who lost four players as a result of a scandal earlier in the tournament, will play with eight men for one last time when they take on host Indonesia in the seventh-place match on Friday.
The four players — Yuya Nagayoshi of the Kyoto Hannaryz, Takuya Hashimoto of the Osaka Evessa, Takuma Sato of the Shiga Lakestars and Keita Imamura of the Niigata Albirex BB — were kicked out by the Japan Olympic Committee for buying sex in the entertainment district of Jakarta on Aug. 16.