"Lee Jung-hyun started explosively and finished the game," even Philippine experts acknowledge... Lee Hyun-joong added "great strength" in the 15th round.

*This content was translated by AI.

As the Korean Nam Ja-nong-gu (CEO) team secured a decisive victory, Philippine media focused intensely on the performances of Lee Jung-hyun and Lee Hyun-joong.

On the 4th, Korea defeated the Philippines 81-55 in a home game at the Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena during the Hana Bank Invitational 2026 Men's National Team Evaluation Match. The two teams will play their second evaluation match at the same venue on the 6th at 2 p.m.

The main figure leading Korea's victory was Lee Jung-hyun.

Despite returning from injury only recently, Lee Jung-hyun exploded for a team-high 27 points, including seven three-pointers.

Philippine basketball specialist media, Tiebreaker Times, also highly praised Lee Jung-hyun's performance. The outlet reported, "Korea took the lead in the first half with a score of 45-33, thanks to Lee Jung-hyun's explosive start."

In fact, Lee Jung-hyun was hot from the beginning of the game. As Korea surged ahead 13-2 right after tip-off, Lee Jung-hyun accounted for two three-pointers in the first five minutes. He scored 10 points in just the first quarter.

Thanks to this, Korea entered the second half with a 12-point lead.

It was also Lee Jung-hyun who put the final period on the game. In the fourth quarter, which started with Korea leading 57-44, Lee Jung-hyun sank three consecutive three-pointers within just over two minutes of play, significantly widening the score gap.

Tiebreaker Times described this scene by saying, "Lee Jung-hyun sent the game out of reach for the Philippines." This was essentially an assessment that Lee Jung-hyun directly ended the contest.

As Lee Jung-hyun's consecutive long-range shots quickly widened the gap, and with a dunk from Lee Won-seok also landing, Korea pulled further ahead. Although coach Nicholas Mazulis subsequently substituted many bench players, Korea never lost momentum until the end, completing a 26-point victory.

Lee Hyun-joong's performance also shone. On this day, Lee Hyun-joong struggled somewhat from outside the arc. He attempted 10 three-pointers and made only one, finishing with six points.

However, he demonstrated a clear presence in other ways. He grabbed an impressive 15 rebounds and recorded four assists.

Tiebreaker Times stated, "Lee Hyun-joong also showed a definite presence," adding, "Although he made only one of his 10 three-point attempts, he greatly contributed to Korea's advantage in the rebounding battle."

However, Lee Hyun-joong emphasized that his 15 rebounds were not a record he created alone. He said, "I want to call it team spirit," and explained, "Thanks to players at positions three through four, including Yeo Jun-seok, working hard on box-outs, I was able to secure those team rebounds."

He continued, "Teammates in the front also did a good job with guard defense," adding, "I still feel I have room for improvement defensively."

He also emphasized that his teammates' performances alleviated some of his burden.

Lee Hyun-joong reflected, "It is important that other players step up when I cannot make a shot. The entire team needs to be in sync, as we were in this game. When Lee Jung-hyun was out, Moon Yu-hyun showed great form. I felt no pressure and was at ease. I played with joy, which helped me secure rebounds well."

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*This content was translated by AI.