New Zealand's Tall Blacks dominated on the boards and shot 42 percent from beyond the arc to defeat Japan's men's national team, the Akatsuki Five, 94-75 Friday in their second of two World Cup warm-up games.
The Tall Blacks, ranked 26th in the world, got a measure of revenge at Gunma Prefecture's Open House Arena Ota, after Wednesday's 79-72 loss on the same court to No. 36 Japan.
New Zealand out-rebounded Japan 45-21 with Reuben Te Rangi grabbing six boards to go with his game-high 20 points.
"We were beaten from the get-go by their physical play," Japan head coach Tom Hovasse said. "We hesitated, too, and failed to establish a rhythm. It was a lesson."
The Akatsuki Five managed just 22.9 percent of their 35 three-point attempts. Makoto Hiejima's 12 points led Japan.
Japan will play World Cup Group E games against Australia, Germany and Finland in Okinawa. The World Cup, being co-hosted with the Philippines and Indonesia, will run from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10.
