[On-site Interview] 53-point aggregate victory over two games in the Philippines... Coach Majors: "Most satisfying aspect was defense"

*This content was translated by AI.

Nicholas Majors, head coach of the South Korean Nam Ja-nong-gu (CEO) team, cited defense as his biggest takeaway after winning both exhibition matches against the Philippines.

On the 6th, South Korea defeated the Philippines 69-42 in a home game at the Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena during the Hana Bank Invitational 2026 Men's National Team Exhibition Match.

After winning the first match on the 4th by a large margin of 81-55, South Korea secured victories in both exhibition games against the Philippines. The combined score across the two matches was 150-97, a staggering 53-point difference.

This exhibition series served as a final practical rehearsal to assess performance and conditioning ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. South Korea secured consecutive wins against the Philippines, setting a positive tone for their Asian Games campaign.

Coach Majors also placed high value on the process rather than just the results, particularly highlighting achievements in defense.

Following the game, Coach Majors stated, "It was a match where we tested various elements. As a result, the game pace was somewhat lower than usual." He added, "We tried many patterns and options. Looking at both games overall, I am satisfied with our defensive performance."

In fact, South Korea shut down the Philippines' offense in both matches by deploying powerful defense.

After holding the Philippines to 55 points in the first match, they allowed just 42 points in the second. Notably, on this day, they limited the Philippines to only 4 points in the first quarter and surrendered just 14 points by halftime.

Even when the offense stalled, defensive focus never wavered. Applying strong ball pressure forced opponents into turnovers and difficult shots, which were quickly converted into fast breaks, allowing South Korea to seize control early.

Coach Majors noted, "We showed good performance in defense and pressure not only against the Philippines but also in previous matches against Saudi Arabia and Lebanon."

However, he did not consider it perfect. He remarked, "In the final quarter, as the score gap widened, players lost focus and the offense struggled. Nevertheless, these were two solid games in our preparation for the Asian Games."

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

Under Coach Majors' leadership, the South Korean men's basketball team has not had a smooth journey so far. Prior to today's game, their official FIBA match record stood at 2 wins and 6 losses (excluding the exhibition matches against the Philippines).

However, recent momentum has clearly shifted. After defeating Saudi Arabia in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers on the 31st of last month, they followed up with two consecutive victories over the Philippines, successfully turning the tide.

What Coach Majors emphasized was not individual effort but "defense played as a unified team." He stressed, "The most important thing is playing together as a team. Every player must fight for each other in every position."

Especially considering that South Korea is relatively shorter compared to other teams, he instructed all players to contribute effort in boxing out and rebounding.

Coach Majors said, "We are not a tall team. Therefore, every player must actively participate in boxing out and rebounding." He added, "Tall wing players like Yeo Jun-seok and Lee Hyun-joong need to provide support, and all other players must contribute as well."

He continued, "I understand that we are generally a shorter team. However, I do not believe the performance we showed today was 100% complete. We must continue working hard to address shortcomings and improve."

Through two exhibition matches against the Philippines, South Korea confirmed clear potential in defense. Now, they must prove this achievement on the actual stage of the Asian Games.

Coach Majors stated, "We are well-prepared tactically regarding what kind of basketball we can play and what kind we should showcase." He concluded, "We have prepared thoroughly to maximize each player's strengths in offensive situations and will step into the Asian Games with determination."

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*This content was translated by AI.