Japan led France in the World Cup warm-up game, Rudy Gobert talks about facing Japan's fast shooters

Today, the World Cup warm-up game started in Japan, where Japan initially led France in the first quarter Japan led France in the World Cup warm-up game, Rudy Gobert talks about facing Japan's fast shooters

Today, the World Cup warm-up game started in Japan, where Japan initially led France in the first quarter. In the end, France won the game with a score of 88-70 against the Japanese team.

Rudy Gobert, the center for the Minnesota Timberwolves, contributed 16 points and 9 rebounds to the fifth-ranked French team. Keisei Tomonaga, the NCAA star from Japan, scored the highest of 20 points for the 36th-ranked Japanese team.

The French team, which includes several current and former NBA players, is one of the toughest opponents in this tournament.

Originally, it was expected that this game would be completely dominated by France, but Japan displayed a strong playing style, giving fans hope for an unexpected victory against the European team.

In the absence of Japan's star player, Yuta Watanabe, the Japanese team relied on shooter Keisei Tomonaga to provide offensive firepower.

This 22-year-old guard performed exceptionally well, helping the Japanese team close the gap to 3-7 with a three-point shot and igniting the enthusiasm of the 13,009 spectators with several shots from beyond the three-point line.

With the advantage of forcing turnovers and making three-pointers, the Japanese team took the lead twice. They ended the first quarter trailing 20-23 and remained closely behind with a score of 40-45 at the end of the second quarter, entering the second half.

At the beginning of the third quarter, the French team expanded their lead to 53-44, but the Japanese team continued to narrow the gap with their shooting.

Led by Gobert, Evan Fournier of the New York Knicks, and former San Antonio Spurs player Nando de Colo, the French team launched a 25-17 offensive in the third quarter, taking control of the game. "I felt like we had a chance to win until halftime," said Tom Hovasse, the head coach of the Japanese team. "We lost the game, but we gained confidence. Our shooting percentage did not reach the required level, and we didn't have enough free throws. These are the issues we need to address."

Three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Gobert, stated that despite the absence of Yuta Watanabe and Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, he and the French team were not surprised by the intensity of the Japanese team in the first half. "They are a team with many shooters and fast players," Gobert said. "The first quarter was a bit challenging, but later on, we were able to bounce back, become more physically fit, and dominate our game." In the next game, the French team will have further warm-up matches against Australia, another World Cup medal contender, at the same venue in Tokyo.