South Korea advances to the basketball semifinals! Surpassing 110 points, Lee Hyun-jung's 28-point 'one-man show'... Jordan crushed, gold medal within reach for the first time in 12 years

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korean men's basketball team defeated Jordan to advance to the semifinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Under coach Nicholas Mazur (Latvia), the South Korean Nam Ja-nong-gu (CEO) team dominated Jordan 114-80 in the men's basketball quarterfinals held at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on the morning of the 16th.

With this victory, South Korea shed the regret of its quarterfinal exit at the previous Hangzhou Asian Games and secured a spot in the semifinals. It will face the winner of the Iran-Bahrain quarterfinal match for a place in the finals.

South Korea aims to reclaim the championship title for the first time since the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, 12 years later. At the Hangzhou tournament, it lost to China in the quarterfinals and finished in seventh place, its lowest-ever ranking.

This tournament has been different. South Korea defeated Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Japan in sequence during the group stage, finishing atop Group A with three straight wins. Meanwhile, Jordan managed only one win and two losses in Group B, placing third overall but advancing to the quarterfinals by recording the best performance among third-placed teams across all groups.

Jordan, ranked 41st in the FIBA world rankings (higher than South Korea's 57th), was a formidable opponent that had won the silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

However, once the game began, South Korea displayed overwhelming dominance from the first half.

On this day, Lee Hyun-jung led the victory with an explosive 28 points, including six three-pointers. He also recorded nine rebounds and five assists, playing a pivotal role on both offense and defense.

Yoo Gi-sang scored 16 points, including four three-pointers, while Lee Jung-hyun added 12 points with three long-range shots. Lee Woo-seok contributed 11 points, and Byun Jun-hyeong also reached double figures with 10 points. Yeo Jun-seok added nine points.

The momentum of the game shifted decisively from the first quarter.

South Korea stifled Jordan's offense with strong defense. On offense, it scored freely both inside and outside, quickly widening the gap.

The first-quarter score was an astounding 28-8. South Korea established a commanding 20-point lead within just ten minutes, completely seizing control of the game.

In the second quarter, Jordan gradually regained some offensive momentum, but South Korea remained unshaken.

South Korea added 23 more points in the second quarter. Although Jordan managed 19 points, the already wide gap was difficult to close.

Ultimately, South Korea ended the first half with a commanding 51-27 lead, ahead by as many as 24 points.

During the first half, Lee Jung-hyun stood out most, sinking three three-pointers for 12 points. Lee Hyun-jung also made his presence felt on both ends of the floor with nine points, six rebounds, and four assists in the first half alone.

Choi Jun-yong, who joined from the quarterfinals onward, Yeo Jun-seok, who returned from injury, and veteran Jang Jae-seok also contributed significantly near the basket.

South Korea's momentum continued into the third quarter.

From the start, Byun Jun-hyeong drew a shooting foul, extending the lead to 61-32. South Korea maintained its fast-paced offense and intense pressure, preventing Jordan from mounting any comeback.

Yeo Jun-seok also showed significant recovery from his injury by overcoming defensive pressure and scoring near the basket.

In particular, Lee Hyun-jung's consecutive three-pointers, combined with Lee Woo-seok's long-range shots, completely broke Jordan's will to chase.

South Korea entered the fourth quarter with a commanding 85-51 lead.

With the outcome effectively decided, Coach Mazur evenly deployed bench players to manage their stamina and prepare for the semifinals.

Following this, Yoo Gi-sang ignited scoring from both inside and outside, and Choi Jun-yong cleanly sank a three-pointer.

With about three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Yoo Gi-sang hit another three-pointer, pushing South Korea's total to 102 points. This marked their second time surpassing the 100th-point mark in this tournament, following their 100-point performance against Japan in the third group-stage match.

Operating the game without any major crises until the end, South Korea comfortably defeated Jordan and secured its ticket to the semifinals.

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*This content was translated by AI.