VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — Bruno Caboclo had 33 points and 17 rebounds as Brazil beat Japan 102-84 to open Friday’s session of the Olympic men’s basketball tournament.
Vitor Benite added 19 points for Brazil. With the win Brazil finishes third in Group B behind France and Germany, who have both already qualified for the quarterfinals.
Josh Hawkinson led Japan with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Yuki Kawamura finished with 21 points and 10 assists.
Japan played without top scorer Rui Hachimura. Japan’s basketball federation said before that game that Hachimura had departed France after suffering a left calf injury during its overtime loss to France earlier in the week.
Japan lost all three of its games in pool play and has been eliminated, finishing last in Group B.
There are three different groups of four teams in the tournament; the top two finishers in each group make the quarterfinals, and the final two spots in the next round go to the best third-place teams in group play.
The U.S. (Group C) and Canada (Group A) also began the day having already qualified for the knockout round.
It was a battle of the big men, with Caboclo and Hawkinson trading baskets throughout.
Caboclo scored 15 of Brazil’s first 31 points, helping it build a 16-point lead in the third quarter. But Japan rallied and got back within 77-73 entering the fourth.
Yudai Baba cut the deficit to 82-20 with just over seven minutes to play. Brazil closed the game on a 22-4 run.
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
