South Korea secured the top spot in Group A of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after defeating Japan 100-83 on Sunday. The victory at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya gave South Korea its third straight win in the tournament.
South Korea had already secured its place in the quarterfinals before facing Japan. South Korean team started the tournament with a win over Saudi Arabia on September 10 and followed it with another victory against Indonesia the next day. By beating Japan on Sunday, South Korea finished first in Group A and earned the top seed for the knockout stage.
On paper, Japan looked like the stronger team. FIBA world rankings place Japan at number 22, far ahead of South Korea at number 57. However, Japan was missing key players such as Yuki Kawamura, Rui Hachimura, and Yuta Watanabe. The team still had 211-cm naturalized center Alex Kirk in its lineup.
In the beginning the match stayed close. South Korea led just 19-17 after the first quarter, and both teams remained tightly matched through most of the first half. Kirk’s strong defense in the middle forced South Korea to search for other ways to score.
Lee Jung-hyun led South Korea’s attack throughout the game. He scored 25 points and made five of his eight three-point shots. He also had seven assists. His strong shooting from outside helped South Korea build its lead as the game went on.
Backup center Jang Jae-seok also played a key. He came off the bench and scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds after starter Lee Seung-hyun got into foul trouble early while guarding Kirk. Jang helped South Korea take control near the basket.
Lee Hyun-jung, one of South Korea’s key players, struggled with his three-point shooting. He made only one of seven attempts from long range. However, he still scored 16 points, made all seven of his free throws, and provided seven assists to help his team.
After the game, Lee Jung-hyun spoke to reporters about the victory. He said taking first place in the group was very important to the team and praised his teammates for giving their best against Japan. He also admitted that he was disappointed with his performances in the first two games. However, he said he kept working hard and that this win is just the beginning for South Korea in the tournament.
South Korea will play its quarterfinal match against Chinese Taipei(Taiwan) this Wednesday at the same arena in Nagoya. The semifinals are scheduled for Friday, just two days later.
This tournament is very important for South Korea’s basketball team. South Korea won Asian Games gold in 2002 and 2014, but the team finished seventh at the 2023 Asian Games, its worst result in the tournament. Team captain Lee Seung-hyun has also said this may be his final Asian Games, giving the team another reason to fight for a strong result this year.
The win over Japan came at an important time for South Korea. It ended the team’s recent struggles against Japan and gave the players extra confidence as they prepare for the knockout stage.
