[On-Site Interview] 'Return from Injury → 27-Point Explosion': Lee Jung-hyun Wins Over Coach Majus "I Respect Him, He's a Really Good Player"

*This content was translated by AI.

Nicholas Majus (Latvia), head coach of the South Korean Nam Ja-nong-gu (CEO) team, expressed strong trust in Lee Jung-hyun after he unleashed a fierce scoring attack against the Philippines.

On the 4th, South Korea secured a decisive 81-55 victory over the Philippines in a home game at the Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena during the Hana Bank Invitational 2026 Men's National Team Evaluation Match.

This evaluation match served as a final practical rehearsal to check performance and condition ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. South Korea will face the Philippines again in a second evaluation match at the same venue on the 6th at 2 p.m.

After the game, Coach Majus commented, "The energy was excellent. All players showed fighting spirit overall. Especially, they applied strong pressure from defense and played well." He added, "This is how we must defend. We need to show this in the next game as well."

Of course, he also pointed out areas needing improvement.

Coach Majus stated, "There were too many turnovers and missed shots. There are parts that need further development." He continued, "We will identify shortcomings during training and address them. I am grateful to the players and thank the fans for their support."

On this day, Lee Jung-hyun led the team's offense with a game-high 27 points. Lee Won-seok added 10 points, while Yeo Jun-seok and Moon Yu-hyun each contributed 8 points. Lee Hyun-jung scored only 6 points but secured an impressive 15 rebounds, fulfilling his role effectively.

Notably, Coach Majus expressed unwavering trust in Lee Hyun-jung despite his low scoring output.

He remarked, "Lee Hyun-jung showed only 10% of his ability in this game. In Japan, he recorded a 3-point shooting success rate reaching 50%. He is an extraordinary player with shooting skills."

Even stronger praise was directed at Lee Jung-hyun, who was the standout performer of the day.

Coach Majus said, "He is truly a good player. Because he returned from injury, time was needed. He joined the training camp in Jincheon slightly late and did not play in the evaluation matches against Japan. Despite having to step into games immediately afterward, Lee Jung-hyun has worked very hard. I respect him."

He continued, "Our point guards must pass and shoot. They play a crucial role in managing the game for the team." He praised further, "Lee Jung-hyun performed well not only in shooting but in all aspects. His ability to finish when second-chance opportunities arose was also excellent."

Adding, "Lee Jung-hyun needs to find his own rhythm and pace. He has been doing well so far," he emphasized, "I have great faith in Lee Jung-hyun."

South Korea will compete in Group A of the Asian Games against Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Japan, aiming to reach the quarterfinals. They will face Saudi Arabia first on the 10th in the group stage, followed by Indonesia on the 11th and Japan on the 13th.

Under Coach Majus's leadership, South Korean men's basketball had struggled to gain momentum until now. Prior to this game, their official record stood at 2 wins and 6 losses. However, after defeating Saudi Arabia in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers on the 31st of last month, they also beat the Philippines, successfully turning the tide.

Coach Majus emphasized that "energy" remains the most critical factor even at the Asian Games.

He stated, "The players' energy was excellent. Now, we must elevate to the next level so that even when facing tougher teams, we can maintain our performance." He added, "As I have repeatedly said, we must keep energy at a high level."

He further noted, "At the Asian Games, we must play three games within four days. This requires significant energy. It would be ideal if we could overwhelm other teams with our energy," he stressed.

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*This content was translated by AI.