Korea and Japan will meet for the first time in the history of the Asian Games men's basketball final.
Under the guidance of head coach Nikolajs Mazulis from Latvia, Korea (ranked 57th by FIBA) defeated Iran (28th) 77-51 in the semifinals held on September 18 at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan.
Lee Hyun-jung shone with a double-double, scoring 26 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, including seven three-pointers. Lee Woo-seok (Sangmu Basketball Team) contributed 19 points with three three-pointers to help secure the victory.
This marks Korea's return to the Asian Games final for the first time in 12 years since winning gold at the 2014 Incheon Games, overcoming the disappointment of finishing seventh at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, their lowest ever.
With this victory, the Korean team has secured its first medal of the tournament.
In the second semifinal held at the same venue, host nation Japan defeated China 97-78.
As a result, Korea will face Japan for the gold medal on September 20 at 7:40 PM.
This is the first time a Korea-Japan matchup has occurred in the men's basketball final at the Asian Games. Korea has previously won the championship four times (1970, 1982, 2002, 2014) but has never faced Japan in the final.
Japan has reached the final for the first time in 64 years since the 1962 Jakarta Games, having lost to the Philippines in both the 1951 New Delhi and 1962 finals.
In their historical matchups, Korea leads with 48 wins to 22 losses, according to the Korea Basketball Association.
However, recent results have been mixed. Korea suffered heavy defeats in two exhibition games last month in Tokyo, losing by 20 and 29 points. Conversely, in their group stage match on September 13, Korea won 100-83, with Lee Jung-hyun (Goyang Sono) scoring a team-high 25 points and Lee Hyun-jung adding 16 points, seven assists, and four steals.
It is important to note that the team compositions differed between the exhibition games and the group stage. Japan was without Rui Hachimura of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers and Yuki Kawamura, who participated in the exhibition games. Meanwhile, Korea welcomed Lee Hyun-jung and Choi Jun-yong (Busan KCC), who did not play in the exhibition matches, and they have been performing well in the tournament.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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