Sports

BASKETBALL | Warriors Prevail Against Wizards in NBA Japan Games Opener

Golden State enjoyed a winning start to its preseason schedule, and Washington forward Rui Hachimura electrified the crowd with high-energy play.

Published

2 years ago

October 1, 2022

Ed Odeven

Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura drives around Golden State Warriors players Kevon Looney (left) and Draymond Green in an NBA preseason game at Saitama Super Arena on September 30. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

This article first appeared on SportsLook, JAPAN Forward’s dedicated sports website.

SAITAMA ― Rui Hachimura's first NBA game in Japan was an historic first for the Washington Wizards, too.

The Golden State Warriors had never competed in Japan, either.

And now both teams can proudly say, Been there, done that.

In an entertaining, high-paced contest, the Warriors defeated the Wizards 97-86 in the opener of the NBA Japan Games 2022 at Saitama Super Arena on Friday night, September 30 before an announced crowd of 20,497.

"I was so happy to be able to play in front of these fans," said Hachimura, a Toyama native, in a postgame news conference. Hachimura scored a team-high 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

The teams will meet again in their second preseason game here on Sunday, October 2. Tipoff is 2 PM.

Read the full story on SportsLook.

Author: Ed Odeven

Follow Ed on JAPAN Forward's [Japan Sports Notebook] here on Sundays, in [Odds and Evens] here during the week, and Twitter ＠ed_odeven, and find him on JAPAN Forward’s dedicated sports website, SportsLook.