NBA Japan Games 2022

The defending 2021-22 NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors made made the trip over to Japan to take on the Washington Wizards at the Saitama Super Arena as part of the NBA Japan Games 2022 presented by Rakuten & Nissan. The preseason exhibition is part of a two-game series in Tokyo between the Warriors and Wizards, the first played in Japan since the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors played a preseason game in 2019.

Article by: Jeffrey Johnston
Photos by: Jeffrey Johnston & Alain Planta

Prior to the NBA Japan Games 2022, Under Armour unveiled Stephen Curry signature “Curry Court” out in Tennozu Isle: Curry Court Opens in Tokyo Ahead Of NBA Japan Games

Full highlights and details from NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022 can be found here: NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022

Game 1 (Friday, September 30th, 2022)

The Wizards and Warriors each have star players, in Golden State’s case some all-time greats, but Hachimura is the face of basketball in Japan and that was evident during the NBA Japan Games, even for those watching the game thousands of miles away. Hachimura presented Stephen Curry with a bottle of his signature wine in a pregame ceremony, then produced oohs and aahs from the crowd with just about everything he did.

The sellout crowd got glimpses of star players Curry, Draymond Green and Hachimura, as well as Beal. Rui Hachimura, a native of Japan received a robust ovation from the crowd when he was introduced with the Washington starters. The Washington Wizards have built a sizable following in the country of Japan thanks largely to Rui Hachimura. Japanese fans set their alarms at odd hours to watch Hachimura and his teammates play in United States time zones. Wizards fans anxious to see how the new-look roster will fare should be encouraged by what they saw, particularly from Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis. And Hachimura did his part with an impressive performance with the spotlight on his every move and a packed stadium cheering him on.

The Golden State Warriors managed to secure a solid nine point victory 96-87 over the Washington Wizards to open the NBA preseason in Tokyo. However the crowd wanted to see Steph Curry (GSW), who played 13 minutes, going 1 of 7 from the field – a 3-pointer – and finishing with six points, sink his long three point shots and put up bigger numbers.

Wizards Highlights

This was the first game Beal and Porzingis have played together, as Porzingis was acquired days after Beal’s 2021-22 season was cut short due to left wrist surgery. This represented the baseline testing of how the Wizards’ two best players will co-exist and, well, the early returns were good. Beal and Porzingis made a point to create for each other and they were largely successful in doing so. While it was the first game of the preseason, it’s worth noting the defending-champion Warriors had the league’s No. 1 defense last year. Porzingis got Beal a bucket in the first quarter on a dribble hand-off where Beal swung around him at the 3-point line and found an open lane to the rim. In the second quarter, Beal, curved off a screen to a pass from Monte Morris and quickly fed Porzingis for an alley-oop with a smooth and accurate lob. Moments later, Porzingis caught a pass off a pindown and quickly fired to Beal for a corner three. Beal played 18 minutes and scored nine points and Porzingis finished with seven.

Kyle Kuzma, the Wizards’ apparent third scoring option, is a key part of their offensive chemistry building and how he fits in alongside Beal and Porzingis will be worth watching. It may take some time to find a flow, given how last year he was much better once the offense ran through him following changes to their roster. Kuzma is at his best when he’s aggressive off the dribble and that was the case in this one. Though he didn’t shoot very well (3-9 FG, 1-5 3PT), he made a series of plays that displayed promise. Kuzma was attacking in open space and in the first quarter fired a nice pass to Morris off a spin in the lane, Morris just missed his attempt from the corner. Kuzma then got hot briefly in the second quarter, starting with a pump fake from the 3-point line resulting in a vicious poster dunk. He followed that with a deep three with the defense set, a shot that showed the confidence he built late last year. The Wizards should be happy about other signs they saw in game one.

**** Video Highlights Courtesy of NBA TV ****
All rights to NBA & Warner Media, LLC’s Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network and the producers of this video. I do not own this video. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Warriors Highlights

The Warriors led for a majority of the night, including the whole second half. James Wiseman showed off his impact on both ends of the court in the win. The 7’0″ center was extremely active near the rim offensively, recording six dunks, including an alley-oop slam from Stephen Curry. He also added nine rebounds, one assist and a block as he a finished with a team-high plus-14 plus-minus.

Off-season free agent signings Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green made their debuts with the Warriors game one win. DiVincenzo recorded nine points, seven rebounds and two assists, connecting on 2-of-3 3-point attempts. JaMychal Green was held scoreless in the win, but was very active on the glass, recording three offensive rebounds and five total rebounds. First round draft pick Patrick Baldwin Jr. added seven points in eight minutes of action. The rookie forward scored all seven of his points in the third quarter, scoring in a couple of different varieties. Baldwin’s first basket came on a pick-and-pop 3-pointer, his second on a turnaround fadeaway from 12-feet over Daniel Gafford. And finally picking up his final two points from the free throw line, making both of his attempts on the night. Fellow 2022 Draft Pick, Ryan Rollins added eight points in the contest, shooting 1-for-6 from the field, but making all six of his free throw attempts.

Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, the Warriors lottery picks in the 2021 NBA Draft, played the most minutes for the Dubs on Friday, Kuminga, in 26 minutes of action, recorded six points, three assists, a rebound and a block. Moody, in 25 minutes, recorded five points, two assists, one rebound and a steal in the nine-point victory, highlighted by first quarter no-look pass to Kevon Looney.

Summary Highlights

Rui Hachimura (WAS) led the Wizards with 13 points and nine rebounds. James Wiseman (GSW), who missed all of last season while rehabilitating after a knee injury, played 24 minutes, connecting on eight of 11 shots, while adding nine rebounds and one block scoring 20 points. Wiseman and Hachimura were the only players to finish in double figures as both teams substituted freely, particularly in the second half. By the third quarter, the teams were deep into their benches and gave reserves extended time in the game.

The overall shooting numbers naturally weren’t pretty, as it was the first preseason warmup and featured players who are likely jet-lagged. Both teams showed some early turnovers and errant passes and shot under 33% in the first half. The Wizards shot 31-for-83 (37.3%) from the field and 5-for-35 (14.3%) from three. The Warriors, known for their outside shooting, went just 7-for-23 (30.4%) from deep. Both ended the game shooting under 37%, but made up for it with a collection of crowd-pleasing dunks.

Other Game News

Warriors starting guard Klay Thompson didn’t play, with Jordan Poole starting in his place. Golden State coach Steve Kerr announced before the game that the Warriors were being cautious with Thompson since he returned in January after missing 2 1/2 seasons after suffering a torn ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals, followed by a ruptured Achilles. Thompson is not expected to play in Tokyo.

For the Wizards, Will Barton, who was obtained from Denver in an offseason trade, missed the game with back tightness.

	96	Final					87
			1	2	3	4
		GSW	16	25	28	27
		WAS	12	25	27	23

	TOP PERFORMERS
	23:50 MINS 25:10 20 POINTS 13 7 D.REB 9 2 O.REB 0 9 T.REB 9 1 ASSISTS 10 0 STEALS 2 1 BLOCKS 0 0 3FGP 0% (0/4) 72.7% (8/11) 2FGP 55.6% (5/9) 66.7% (4/6) FTP 42.9% (3/7)
JAMES WISEMAN Height: 213 cm / 7’0″ Position: C Born: Mar 31, 2001 Weight: 109 kg / 240 lbs Team: Golden State Warriors (2020-21)		RUI HACHIMURA Height: 203 cm / 6’8″ Position: PF Born: Feb 8, 1998 Weight: 104 kg / 230 lbs Team: Washington Wizards (2019-22)

Box Scores

Game 2 (Sunday, October 2nd, 2022)

The second match of the NBA Japan Games 2022 preseason exhibition in Japan between the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards was held at Saitama Super Arena on October 2nd. The first game was a low score from beginning to end, but the Warriors won 96-87 thanks to James Wiseman’s 20 points and other performances from the bench. Whether the Wizards, led by Rui Hachimura, will return the favor, the second round of attention has begun.

Following the first match, Rui Hachimura from the Wizards and Draymond Green from the Warriors appeared in the pre-match greetings. Both athletes commented that their stay in Japan has been wonderful.

First Half Highlights

Bradley Beal and Klay Thompson were unfortunately sidelined, but the Warriors took the lead with a 3-pointer from Jordan Poole and a 3-pointer from Andrew Wiggins. Succeeded in a 9-2 start dash with dunks, Draymond’s 3 points, etc. Stephen Curry, who scored 6 points in the first game, scored his first score with 3 points in the 8th minute remaining in the 1Q. The Wizards, on the other hand, struggled to keep out with back-to-back scoring from Monte Morris and Kristaps Porzingis and Rui Hachimura’s 3-point play. As it is, the Wizards gradually closed the gap, and the Warriors closed the first quarter with 26-Wizards 25.

**** Video Highlights Courtesy of NBA TV ****
All rights to NBA & Warner Media, LLC’s Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network and the producers of this video. I do not own this video. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

In the 2nd quarter, both teams were in a deadlock with no scoring, but a free throw allowed the Wizards to tie the score for the first time of the day. After that, Rui Hachimura and Curry entered the court again, and the game began to move. With 7:08 remaining, Rui Hachimura’s double clutch made a 3-point play, and the Wizards finally turned 34-33. Curry was on the rise towards the end of the 2Q, wowing the venue with two 3-pointers and a 1on1 with Porzingis, and extended to 17 points in the first half. The back-and-forth offense and defense continued, and the Wizards managed to keep the lead and ended the first half at 56-55. Rui Hachimura scored 11 points and 7 rebounds in the first half.

**** Video Highlights Courtesy of NBA TV ****
All rights to NBA & Warner Media, LLC’s Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network and the producers of this video. I do not own this video. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Second Half Highlights

In the second half, the Wizards continued to play with starters Rui Hachimura, Kyle Kuzma, and Kristaps Porzingis, pushing the lead to double digits at 68-56 with 9:15 remaining. Rui Hachimura left the game with 3:55 remaining, and although he did not score in the second half, he led the team with a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The Wizards entered the final 4Q with an 85-74 lead, and just when they thought they were going to get away with it, the Warriors gradually closed the score gap, and with 4:04 remaining, the score was tied at 91-91. The Golden State Warriors made a comeback and took the lead securing a 104-95 victory over the Washington Wizards as the teams wrapped up their two-game preseason series in Japan.

Summary Highlights

Stephen Curry scored 17 points, playing 15 minutes in the first half, and Andrew Wiggins was the only other Warriors starter in double figures with 10. Reserves Moses Moody and Patrick Baldwin Jr. added 12 points apiece as Golden State won both games at Saitama Super Arena. Baldwin was 4 of 6 from the field, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range.

Kristaps Porzingis led the Wizards with 18 points, while Will Barton, seeing his first action of the preseason, scored 12. Rui Hachimura and Monte Morris had 11 points each, Hachimura also grabbing 10 rebounds.

Wizards guard Bradley Beal, who played in the opener, rested, opening the way for Barton, obtained in an off-season from Denver, to start.

	95	Final					104
			1	2	3	4
		WAS	25	31	29	10
		GSW	26	28	20	30

	TOP PERFORMERS
	21:38 MINS 16:58 18 POINTS 17 5 D.REB 5 1 O.REB 0 6 T.REB 5 2 ASSISTS 2 2 STEALS 0 2 BLOCKS 1 50% (2/4) 3FGP 37.5% (3/8) 55.6% (5/9) 2FGP 53.8% (7/13) 100% (6/6) FTP 0% (0/0)
KRISTAPS PORZINGIS Height: 221 cm / 7’3″ Position: C Born: August 2, 1995 Weight: 108 kg / 240 lbs Team: Washington Wizards (2021-2022)		STEPHEN CURRY Height: 188 cm / 6’2″ Position: G Born: March 14, 1988 Weight: 83 kg / 185 lbs Team: Golden State Warriors (2009-22)

BOX SCORES