'Lee Hyun-jung's 27 points, 18 rebounds hard carry' Korea wins basketball gold! Crushes Japan 67-57... Gold medal after 12 years, 'new history' [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

'Ace' Lee Hyun-jung's one-man show shone brightly. The Korean Nam Ja-nong-gu (CEO) team defeated its archrival Japan on enemy soil and rose to the top of the Asian Games for the first time in 12 years.

On the 20th, Korea defeated Japan 67-57 in the men's basketball final of the 2026 Aichi·Nagoya Asian Games held at the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium in Nagoya, Japan.

With this victory, Korean basketball claimed its first Asian Games gold medal since the 2014 Incheon tournament, writing new history after a flawless undefeated run from the group stage to the final to reclaim Asia's top spot.

On this day, Korea's ace Lee Hyun-jung dominated the court with 27 points, 18 rebounds (4 offensive), 3 assists, and 2 steals, becoming the primary contributor to the gold medal. In addition, Lee Jung-hyun (14 points, 7 assists), Byun Jun-hyeong (5 points), and Lee Woo-seok (6 points) added crucial scores at key moments to bolster the team's strength.

The early flow of the game was tight. Korea built a comfortable lead with Lee Seung-hyun's 2-point shot and Lee Hyun-jung's first 3-pointer.

However, Japan countered with Kanetaka Ren's consecutive seven points. Korea's poor shooting compounded the situation, allowing a 12-12 tie. By the end of the first quarter, after conceding consecutive points to Japan late in the period, Korea trailed 12-16.

Entering the second quarter, Japan seemed to pull ahead with outside shots, but Choi Jun-yong's powerful long-range 3-pointer halted the momentum. Lee Jung-hyun's 2-point shot and Lee Woo-seok's 3-pointer followed in succession, tying the score at 20-20.

Amidst Japan's aggressive defense, Lee Hyun-jung carved out opportunities with his hustle plays and precise passing. After a seesaw battle, Byun Jun-hyeong's sharp drive-and-score succeeded late in the quarter, ending the first half tied at 28-28. Lee Hyun-jung, who had only scored five points in the first half, focused on the gritty work by grabbing seven rebounds near the basket.

The second half erupted into a fiery shootout. After exchanging two-pointers each, Byun Jun-hyeong's step-back 3-pointer gave Korea a 33-30 lead. Lee Hyun-jung's outside shot also found the rim, extending the lead to 36-32. Japan fought back with Oga's consecutive 3-pointers to take a 38-39 lead and clung on tenaciously.

In a critical moment, Lee Hyun-jung emerged as the savior. He immediately responded with a 3-pointer to retake the lead at 41-39, then exploded with another outside shot to widen the gap to 44-39. With Lee Jung-hyun adding points, Korea pulled ahead 48-42. Lee Hyun-jung converted all his free throws, pushing the score to 50-42 and creating the largest point differential of the game. Following Lee Woo-seok's 3-pointer and Jang Jae-seok's basket near the rim, Korea's explosive offense extended their lead to 55-47 as they headed into the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter became Lee Hyun-jung's solo stage. Even under time constraints on offense, he delivered explosive 3-pointers against defenders, extending the lead to 58-49. He then secured an offensive rebound and converted it into a 2-pointer. On defense, he drew an offensive foul from Japan, followed by Lee Jung-hyun's 2-pointer, pushing the score to 62-49.

Japan closed the gap to 62-52 with Kanetaka's 3-pointer with 5 minutes and 16 seconds remaining in the game. With about two minutes left, they attempted a close chase, narrowing the score to 64-55. However, Korea maintained focus until the final whistle, quelling Japan's fierce comeback to seal a golden finale.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.