South Korea on the brink! Must defeat 'arch-rival' Japan... 'Where did Korea's late strength go?' Taiwan suffers crushing defeat to China

*This content was translated by AI.

South Korea is on the brink. With China defeating Taiwan, one possible scenario has been eliminated.

On the 6th, China defeated Taiwan 92-74 in the final sixth match of Round 1 of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers held at Goyang Sono Arena.

With this result, China finished with a 3-3 record and secured second place in Group B. With South Korea, led by coach Nikolaj Mazuls (Latvia), Japan, and Taiwan all placed in Group B alongside China, China has guaranteed at least third place in the group, thereby securing its ticket to Round 2.

Only the South Korea-Japan match remains in Group B. Currently, Japan leads Group B with a 4-1 record (9 points). China sits in second place with a 3-3 record (9 points), and Taiwan is in third place with a 2-4 record (8 points). South Korea remains in fourth place with a 2-3 record (7 points).

In this Round 1 of the Asian Qualifiers, the top three teams from each group advance to Round 2. Only by reaching Round 2 can they maintain their chances of qualifying for the FIBA Basketball World Cup finals next year in Qatar. Excluding host nation Qatar, a total of seven tickets are allocated to the Asia-Oceania region for the finals.

This is bad news for South Korea. The probability of advancing to Round 2 has decreased further.

On the same day, South Korea will face 'eternal rival' Japan in the final sixth match of Group B at Goyang Sono Arena. Previously, South Korea defeated China twice, securing an advantage under the head-to-head rule. However, they lost both matches against Taiwan. Even if South Korea were to lose to Japan, had Taiwan defeated China, South Korea could have advanced to Round 2 thanks to the head-to-head rule.

But with Taiwan losing to Japan, South Korea is now in a situation where it must absolutely defeat Japan.

China and Taiwan played their Group B sixth match in neutral South Korea due to political and diplomatic issues between the two countries. On this day, China had home-court advantage, while in March they faced off again in Manila, Philippines, another neutral venue. China won both matches.

On this day, China took an early lead from the first quarter, 25-13, firmly controlling the game's momentum. By halftime, the score gap had widened to 54-28—a massive 26-point difference. In their previous match, Taiwan overturned a 19-point deficit against South Korea and secured a comeback victory after an intense overtime battle. However, this time they failed to show the same late strength.

Although Taiwan began to close the gap somewhat in the second half, China never faced a score that required tension. Ultimately, China won and advanced to Round 2.

Before the match against Japan, South Korean players warmed up by high-fiving teammates and shouting "fighting," displaying their determination to win. Their faces were filled with resolve.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.