[On-Site Interview] From 15 rebounds in the first game to another 15 in the second, with a scorer also grabbing rebounds... Yeo Jun-seok: "I am so grateful to Hyung Lee Hyun-jung"

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Hyun-jung, a key scorer for the Nam Ja-nong-gu (CEO) team, grabbed a remarkable 30 rebounds in two exhibition games against the Philippines. Yeo Jun-seok, who played alongside him on the court, expressed his gratitude for Lee's dedication.

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 Games.

Having already won decisively 81-55 in the first game held on the 4th, South Korea secured victories in both exhibition matches against the Philippines. The combined margin of victory across the two games was an overwhelming 53 points.

These exhibition games served as a final practical rehearsal to check performance and conditioning ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. With two consecutive wins over the Philippines, South Korea heads into the Asian Games in high spirits.

The standout aspect in both games was rebounding.

At the center of it all was Lee Hyun-jung. He grabbed a remarkable 15 rebounds in the first game and then secured another 15 in the second game, totaling 30 rebounds across just two matches. He also added 11 points to complete a double-double.

Lee is a representative scorer for the Lee Hyeon-jung-eun (CEO) team. While he typically serves as a playmaker on offense using perimeter shots and drives, during the exhibition games against the Philippines, he took responsibility not only for scoring but also for the dirty work under the basket.

Notably, South Korea is not particularly a tall team. Coach Nicholas Mazulis has also emphasized that players at all positions must actively participate in box-outs and rebounding.

In this context, Lee Hyun-jung's active involvement in rebounding was even more valuable.

Yeo Jun-seok also expressed gratitude for the dedication of his teammates, including Lee Hyun-jung. After the game, he said, "It was a great opportunity to test what we had prepared," and added, "From the first game to the second, my teammates really grabbed rebounds well. I am so grateful for that."

He specifically mentioned Lee Hyun-jung. Yeo Jun-seok stated, "Hyung Lee Hyun-jung also did a great job grabbing rebounds," conveying his appreciation.

Lee Hyun-jung's rebounding involvement carries significance beyond just personal statistics. For South Korea to be competitive at the Asian Games, it is not enough to rely solely on specific big men for rebounds; guards and forwards must actively engage in battles under the basket as well.

Lee Hyun-jung fulfilled this role most proactively. By taking responsibility not only for his primary scoring duties but also for physical battles, box-outs, and rebounding, he contributed strength to team basketball.

Yeo Jun-seok also evaluated that through the two exhibition games against the Philippines, they simultaneously confirmed both achievements and areas for improvement.

He said, "We need to show strong defensive performance," and added, "There were shortcomings in three-point shooting. However, I believe we found our shooting touch during these exhibition games. If we continue to refine those aspects, it should work out."

There were also regrets. In the second game, although South Korea built a large lead early on, their offensive flow became somewhat disjointed as they entered the fourth quarter.

Yeo Jun-seok noted, "We showed some signs of crumbling in the fourth quarter," and emphasized, "If we improve those areas, we should be able to show even better performance at the Asian Games."

At the upcoming Asian Games, South Korea is placed in Group A with Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Japan, aiming for a spot in the quarterfinals. They will face Saudi Arabia first on the 10th, followed by Indonesia on the 11th and Japan on the 13th.

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*This content was translated by AI.