Four college students delivered! South Korea advances to the 3x3 basketball finals... "Could not stop Korea's fierce shooting, which went 5-0 in just 39 seconds" — Philippines also admits defeat

*This content was translated by AI.

Four college students truly delivered. The South Korean men's 3x3 basketball national team dominated the Philippines and reached the Asian Games finals for the first time in eight years.

Coached by Bae Gil-tae, South Korea decisively defeated the Philippines 21-9 in the men's 3x3 basketball semifinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held on the 25th at a special court at Nagoya Kintetsu Station Plaza.

South Korea advanced to the finals for the first time since winning a silver medal in the inaugural 3x3 basketball tournament at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, eight years later.

Now, just one victory stands between South Korea and its first-ever gold medal.

South Korea will face Qatar for the gold medal in the finals at 7:30 p.m. today. Qatar advanced to the finals after defeating Iran 14-11 in the semifinals.

South Korea entered this tournament with four college students and no professional players. Lee Ju-young and Kim Seung-woo (both from Yonsei University), Lee Dong-geun (Korea University), and Gu Min-gyo (Sungkyunkwan University) donned the national team jersey.

These players had already proven their competitiveness by securing a runner-up finish at the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup last April. They continued their unstoppable momentum at this Asian Games, reaching the finals.

In the semifinals, they dominated the Philippines from the very start.

South Korea surged ahead 5-0 just 39 seconds into the game. With Lee Ju-young's driving score added, the gap widened to as much as 15-3 — a staggering 12-point lead at one point.

The Philippines mounted a late comeback and narrowed the score to 9-18, but the outcome had already been largely decided.

South Korea extended their lead to 19-9 with a score by Gu Min-gyo, and Lee Ju-young sealed the victory at the end. After successfully making a two-point shot from a distance, Lee helped South Korea reach 21 points first, ending the game immediately.

The opposing Philippines also acknowledged South Korea's overwhelming firepower.

Philippine media outlet "Philstar" stated, "The Philippines could not stop Korea's fierce shooting and struggled to find any openings in attack."

It further noted that South Korea jumped ahead 5-0 within just 39 seconds of the game start, adding, "Although the Philippines showed signs of a comeback, it was far too late."

Ultimately, South Korea advanced to the finals with an almost flawless semifinal victory, leaving just one step away from the gold medal.

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*This content was translated by AI.