*This content was translated by AI.
In the Asian Games men's basketball tournament, it was initially believed to be a favorable draw for South Korea that they would avoid China, the "Great Wall" with eight gold medals in their history. However, Japan's momentum heading into the final is anything but ordinary. With the advantage of playing at home, Japan has reached the Asian Games final stage for the first time in 64 years, emerging as a powerful dark horse in South Korea's pursuit of gold.
The Republic of Korea Nam Ja-nong-gu (CEO) team, led by head coach Nicholas Mazulis (46, Latvia), defeated Iran 77-51 to advance to the final in the men's basketball semi-final match held on the 18th at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, during the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. 'Ace' Lee Hyun-jung (26) dominated the court with a solo performance of 26 points, 14 rebounds, and four assists, leading his team to a decisive victory.
Another semi-final match held immediately after South Korea's game against Iran produced a major upset in determining South Korea's final opponent. The host nation Japan caused a sensation by crushing China, the "traditional powerhouse" with eight Asian Games titles, by a score of 97-77, winning by a margin of 20 points.
Japan's performance on this day was even more overwhelming. Leading 49-30 at halftime against China, Japan launched a 15-6 run immediately after the second half began, widening the gap further. With sharpshooter Harper Jr. hitting from beyond the arc, they created a garbage-time scenario with a lead as large as 30 points. Kanetaka Ren scored 19 points, naturalized big man Alex Kirk grabbed 12 rebounds, and guard Ogawa Atsuya dished out nine assists, completely dismantling China's interior and perimeter defense.
Even more remarkable is the history of Japanese basketball reaching the final. Japan's men's national team has not reached the Asian Games 5-on-5 final since the 1962 Jakarta tournament, where they won a silver medal — a span of 64 years. Now, stepping onto the final stage after more than half a century without it, they are backed by the enthusiastic support of their home fans. To date, Japan has no history of winning an Asian Games gold medal in men's basketball. In the 1962 Asian Games, Japan finished with silver after being defeated by the Philippines. At that time, the men's tournament was conducted in a final round format rather than a knockout final stage.
From South Korea's perspective, avoiding China — traditionally a physically imposing and intimidating opponent on the Asian stage — may be seen as somewhat favorable. However, Japan, playing at home with overwhelming firepower and riding the historic momentum of reaching their first final in 64 years, is by no means an easy opponent. Unlike Japan, South Korea aims to return to the top of men's basketball after a 12-year absence since the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.
United by strong motivation including military service benefits for gold medalists, South Korea faces Japan, which is aiming not only for their first major achievement in 64 years but also for their first-ever Asian Games gold medal. The fateful final between the two nations, with no room for retreat, will take place at the same venue on the 20th at 7:40 p.m.
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*This content was translated by AI.
