The Japan men's national team is wounded both physically and mentally.
Which makes posting its first win at the FIBA World Cup appear to be a daunting task, especially considering the absence of star player Rui Hachimura.
Japan will face Montenegro in its final World Cup contest at 4:30 p.m. (JST) at Dongguan Basketball Center on Monday. Both teams are winless so far in the 32-nation tournament.