'March 1st Korea-Japan match 男 Basketball lost against Korea and Japan, 'First-ever foreign coach' lost all two games → World Cup qualifiers are on the verge of being eliminated... Lee Hyun-joong's double-double battle

*This content was translated by AI.

The men's basketball team, which appointed its first-ever foreign head coach, suffered a painful upset in its fateful showdown with Japan on March 1st. The team lost in an away match in Japan led by head coach Nicolás Majuls (Latvia) and turned a red light on its advance to the finals.

South Korea lost 72-78 away to Japan in the fourth Group B match of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifying round at Santori Arena in Okinawa on the 1st.

It is a total defeat in all two games under the new coach Marjules. The Korean national team was defeated 65-77 by Taiwan in the third round of Group B.

He is on the verge of being eliminated from the World Cup qualifying round. South Korea, which has won two consecutive games against China under interim coach Jeon Hee-chul, lost both games since the appointment of Marjules, recording its second win and second loss.

Japan won the Korea-Japan match, leading Group B with three wins and one loss.

Lee struggled to score the most points in a game. He had 28 points, 11 rebounds, and a double-double, including five three-point shots. Ahn Young-joon scored 10 points and Yoo Ki-sang added 11 points, but it was not enough to prevent the team's defeat.

Japan led the victory with naturalized player Joshua Hawkinson scoring 24 points and 7 rebounds, and former NBA player Utah Watanabe scoring 15 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists.

As a result, coach Marjules lost both games since taking the helm of the Korean national team, swallowing regret.

Korea was strong in the Japanese national team. In July last year, he recorded his second consecutive win in the first round of the national team evaluation held in Anyang.

The first quarter was followed by a seesaw game. South Korea finished the first quarter with a 16-15 one-point lead. In the second quarter, Japan's offensive was fierce. Hawkinson and Watanabe turned the tables with consecutive points.

South Korea fell behind Japan 38-42 in the first half. Lee Hyun-joong drove in 13 points and six rebounds, including two three-point shots (2/4). Lee Jung-hyun added six points by hitting all three points. Ahn Young-joon scored 10 points, two rebounds, and one assist.

A close game continued in the third quarter. South Korea, which gained momentum with Lee Hyun-joong's outer shot, balanced 47-47 with Daniel's four consecutive points.

Daniel changed the atmosphere of the game. He blocked the opponent's layup and even induced Hawkinson's error with active pressure. Lee Hyun-joong hit both free throws and succeeded in turning the tables 49-47. He entered the final quarter with a 55-54-point lead, succeeding three points and a drive-in at the end of the quarter.

Even at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Korea's momentum was unusual. Yoo Ki-sang's two points and Lee Hyun-joong's three stepbacks were inserted, leading to a 62-56 point gap.

Japan was also a pushover. Watanabe's back-to-back five points hit the mark, narrowing the gap to 62-611 points.

At a critical moment, Lee Hyun-joong's outer periphery exploded again. Four minutes before the end, Lee Hyun-joong made a long-range 3-pointer to make it 67-63, but Japan turned the game around again with consecutive points from Babaju, Watanabe and Hawkinson.

The game was decided in a clutch situation. South Korea, which was trailing 69-70, allowed a decisive 3-pointer to Japan's Saito 1 minute and 9 seconds before the end of the game, widening the gap to 69-75. In the end, South Korea finally failed to recover its score and swallowed its regret by losing the monumental Korea-Japan match held on March 1st.

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*This content was translated by AI.