NBA first-round draftee Rui Hachimura navigated Japan to a 99-89 victory over New Zealand on Monday, delivering a stellar performance in Japan's first warmup exhibition ahead of the upcoming FIBA World Cup.
The 21-year-old forward scored 35 points to help the Akatsuki Five post a victory over the Tall Blacks before a capacity crowd of 5,610 at Chiba Port Arena.
“It was my first time playing in Japan in a while,” Hachimura said after the game. “And it was great to win this game (in the same venue) where we had a historic win against Australia, although this was an exhibition.