*This content was translated by AI.
The long-awaited final between Korea and Japan has been set.
The South Korean Nam Ja-nong-gu (CEO) team, aiming for its first Asian Games gold medal in 12 years, will face the host nation Japan again to compete for the top spot, having already defeated them once during the group stage.
Under the guidance of coach Nicholas Mazulis (Latvia), the South Korean Nam Ja-nong-gu (CEO) team advanced to the final by decisively defeating Iran 77-51 in the men's basketball semi-finals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held on the 18th at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan.
This marks South Korea's return to the Asian Games men's basketball final for the first time since winning gold at the 2014 Incheon Games. Only one match remains to reach the summit.
In this tournament, South Korea secured first place in Group A with three consecutive victories, defeating Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Japan in order. They then crushed Jordan 114-80 in the quarterfinals and dominated Iran, a traditional powerhouse of Asian basketball, by 26 points in the semi-finals.
In the match against Iran, Lee Hyun-jung played the role of a savior effectively. Lee scored a team-high 26 points overall. He also made 7 of his 13 three-point attempts, leading South Korea to the final.
The opponent in the final is the host nation, Japan. Japan secured its spot in the final by decisively defeating China 97-77 in another semi-final held on the same day.
Japan's momentum was fierce from the start. They pushed China hard from the first quarter, quickly building a lead and maintaining control throughout to secure a commanding 20-point victory.
As a result, the long-awaited final between Korea and Japan for the Asian Games gold medal has been set.
The two teams have already faced each other once in this tournament. In the final group stage match of Group A held on the 13th, South Korea defeated Japan 100-83. At that time, Lee Jung-hyun led the victory for South Korea with a team-high 25 points, including five three-pointers.
On the other hand, Japan, which lost to South Korea, expressed significant disappointment. In particular, American-born center Alex Kirk said about the loss to South Korea, "Ultimately, I am very disappointed."
He also acknowledged South Korea's strong lineup. Kirk described this year's Japanese national team as a "young team" and stated, "We are not a complete team like South Korea."
Nevertheless, he vowed, "I want to grow through this experience and utilize it in the next match."
In the end, South Korea and Japan will meet again in the final.
This is a must-win matchup for both teams. South Korea aims to reclaim the title after 12 years. Japan will challenge for its first-ever Asian Games men's basketball gold medal on home soil.
There was also significant interest in the final between Korea and Japan within Japan. The Japanese media outlet Basketball King reported immediately after China's victory, "The Japanese Nam Ja (CEO) team dominated China and advanced to the Asian Games final for the first time in 64 years," adding that they will face the South Korean national team again for the first gold medal.
Japan has reached the Asian Games men's basketball final stage for the first time since the 1962 Jakarta Games, a span of 64 years. However, it has never won a gold medal in Asian Games men's basketball.
The media emphasized, "The opponent in the final, where Japan's first championship after 64 years hangs in the balance, is South Korea, which they lost to during the group stage."
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*This content was translated by AI.
