October 17th.  Japan vs. Korea in the bronze medal game.  The winner secures a spot in the Paralympics.

Watching the Korea game in pool play, I felt that Japan played better basketball.  Korea relied almost exclusively on their starting 5.  Japan has more depth on their team.  I’m sure that Japan will will win this game and with it, the last spot to go to Rio —

At least, that’s what I hope will happen.  I actually put my hands together and prayed in front of our home shinto altar before leaving for Chiba Port Arena.

There’s 2 things they need to stay away from.
First, they can’t stray away from who they are. The path to victory will depend on them keeping away from doing things which are not their strengths.

The other is to not let their emotions get the better of them. While they won’t rise to the bait when faced with an opponent that has a tendency to fight with their emotions on their sleeves, they can’t back down from them either.

The obvious answer to avoid both of these is that they need to believe in themselves, believe in their team, and focus on executing their basics.
It may be obvious, but as obvious as it is, it’s easier said than done.

The game starts amid nervous excitement.  Looking back on my game notes from right after the start, I see thing like:

“Pick up all the loose (balls)!”

“Put everything you have into it”

jotted down continuously.

The game starts with Korea taking the momentum and the lead.  Japan gives up easy baskets on the fast break transitions and the first quarter ends Japan 15 – Korea 24.

It’s so bad that the fans in the stands are wondering what is happening.
But even so, the Japanese athletes and the bench aren’t worried. The Korean players are letting loose with loud yells as they give their momentum life by themselves. While the arena is filled with the feeling that Korea is strong, they need to believe in themselves, believe in their team, and focus on executing their basics. The Japanese team is in the middle of doing exactly that.

They see the fruits of their labor come to pass with just under 3 minutes remaining in the first half.

Korea is in the lead, but it looks like they — leading Koreans themselves — are the ones in trouble.  Korea’s #10 gives them 32 points with a basket from the middle.  But for the next 2 minutes, 23 seconds, they don’t score again and Japan goes on a 5 basket 10 point run.  The arena suddenly ignites.  The 20 minutes of the first half ends with the score at 38-32.  Korea primarily played their starters, and their leading scorer, #12, already has 3 fouls.  2 more and he is out of the game.  It took 3 quarters in pool play for Korea to run out of breathing room.  Today it has happened even faster, with Japan catching up to Korea by the end of the first half.

Japan needs to avoid 2 things in the second half.

– Do not get away from themselves
– Do not get caught up in emotions as the opponent comes out swinging, and do not back down

In other words, continue executing the basics.

Continue doing what needs to be done and don’t give their opponents the chance to breathe.

It was harder said than done, but even amidst some mistakes, Japan overcame it all and secured a spot in the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics.  The team most deserving of that seat won it today.

Shortly after the game, head coach Oikawa said that they would use today’s game as a base and improve themselves in the year leading to Rio.

I think that there was some percentage of people in the stands today for whom this was their first time watching a wheelchair basketball game.
They probably left the arena a little surprised and uplifted, and enveloped in a sense of satisfaction.

I’m sure many people thought to themselves that they will want to watch what lies ahead for this team.