[Suwon Field Review] Philippines Captured Again! Korean Basketball Sweeps Both Games... Won the First Match by 26 Points, This Time by 27

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korean men's basketball team once again easily subdued the Philippines.

On the 6th, Korea defeated the Philippines 69-42 in a home match at the Hana Bank Invitational 2026 Men's National Team Evaluation Game held at Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena.

With this victory, Korea concluded both evaluation matches against the Philippines with wins. In the first match held on the 4th, they also won decisively by a score of 81-55.

This evaluation game served as a practical mock exam to finalize their performance and condition ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Korea secured two consecutive victories against the Philippines, allowing them to head toward the Asian Games in high spirits.

Led by coach Nicolas Mazulis (Latvia), South Korea is placed in Group A with Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Japan at the Asian Games, aiming for a quarterfinal berth. They will face Saudi Arabia in their first group stage match on the 10th, followed by Indonesia on the 11th and Japan on the 13th.

Under coach Mazulis, the South Korean men's basketball team has struggled to gain momentum until now. Prior to today's game, their official FIBA record stood at just two wins and six losses (excluding the Philippines evaluation matches).

However, the recent atmosphere has clearly changed. After defeating Saudi Arabia in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers on the last day of last month, they successfully turned things around by capturing the Philippines twice in a row.

Yoo Ki-sang led the charge for today's victory. Yoo scored 15 points, including five three-pointers, recording the team's highest score.

He was explosive from the start. Yoo sank four three-pointers in the first quarter alone, instantly shifting the game's momentum in Korea's favor. Although he could not participate in the first match due to fitness issues, he firmly established his presence in the second evaluation game.

Additionally, South Korea received support from Yeo Jun-seok with 14 points. Jang Jae-seok, who handled the tough work under the basket, also recorded 10 points. Lee Hyun-jung contributed 11 points.

The Philippines is by no means an easy opponent. Although some key players were absent for this evaluation match—players active in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) and Japan's B.League—the team reached the Asian Games summit four years ago and holds a higher FIBA world ranking of 39th compared to Korea's 57th. They also defeated Jordan and Iran consecutively in the World Cup Asian Qualifiers held last month.

Unlike the first match, the Philippines focused intensely on defense from the early stages of the game. Korea, which had scored 24 points in just the first quarter during the previous game, took nearly four minutes to score their first points today.

However, the Philippines also struggled to break through Korea's defense after scoring two initial points.

Korea was the first to break the long silence. Yeo Jun-seok tied the score with a jump shot, and Lee Hyun-jung made a free throw, immediately turning the game around.

From that moment, Yoo Ki-sang's one-man show began. Yoo sank four consecutive three-pointers from the perimeter. His success rate was 100%. Every time he caught and threw the ball, it pierced the rim. Korea quickly surged ahead to 17-2. Cheers chanting Yoo Ki-sang's name erupted from the stands.

Korea finished the first quarter leading by a large margin of 19-4, a 15-point difference.

The momentum did not change in the second quarter either. Korea pushed the Philippines back with fast breaks generated from aggressive defense.

Goals by Jang Jae-seok and Moon Yu-hyun widened the gap further, while Lee Hyun-jung blocked an opponent's shot and then immediately scored a three-pointer on the opposite end of the court, boosting the atmosphere.

On the other hand, the Philippines could not find any solution. Their field goals repeatedly missed the rim, and Korea immediately converted opponents' failed attacks into fast breaks. Yeo Jun-seok, Moon Yu-hyun, and Jang Jae-seok consecutively scored on fast breaks.

By mid-second quarter, the score was 36-6. The gap had widened to a staggering 30 points. Korea led by a large margin of 38-14 at halftime.

Even in the second half, Korea's momentum did not waver. Three-pointers by Byun Jun-hyeong and Lee Jeong-hyun pierced the rim consecutively early in the third quarter. In particular, Lee Jeong-hyun displayed hot shooting from the perimeter, while Yeo Jun-seok stirred the crowd with a spectacular alley-oop score.

Korea seized control of the game early by breaking 50 points before the Philippines even reached the 20th-point mark.

Starting the fourth quarter leading 56-27, Korea did not become complacent despite the large point difference. They maintained defensive focus and continued their fast attacks, never losing the initiative until the end. Byun Jun-hyeong's three-pointer and Eddie Daniel's free throw extended the score to 62-32, widening the gap back to 30 points.

Thereafter, Korea managed the remaining time comfortably. Ultimately, both evaluation matches against the Philippines were concluded with decisive victories.

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*This content was translated by AI.