South Korea's men's basketball team defeated host Japan to win the Asian Games title for the first time in 12 years.
The Korean team, coached by Nikolajs Mazurs, beat Japan 67-57 in the men's basketball final at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on the 20th at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The victory returned Korea to the top of Asian basketball for the first time since the 2014 Incheon Games. It was the country's fifth Asian Games men's basketball title, following wins in 1970, 1982, 2002 and 2014.
The gold carries added weight because it came on the road. Excluding the 2002 Busan and 2014 Incheon Games held at home, it was Korea's first Asian Games basketball gold won abroad since the 1982 New Delhi Games in India, a gap of 44 years.
Lee Hyun-jung, the ace who led Korea's offense throughout the tournament, posted a double-double with 27 points and 18 rebounds in the final. Lee Jung-hyun added 14 points and seven assists.
Korea struggled against Japan's aggressive pressure defense in the first quarter and trailed 12-16, but tied the game at 28-28 in the second quarter behind Lee Jung-hyun's passing and Lee Hyun-jung's defense.
Korea's outside shooting came alive in the second half. Byun Jun-hyung, Lee Hyun-jung, Lee Jung-hyun and Lee Woo-seok hit 3-pointers in succession, and Korea led 55-47 at the end of the third quarter.
Lee Hyun-jung kept scoring in the fourth quarter. Korea held a double-digit lead to hold off Japan's push, and Lee Hyun-jung made both free throws with 11.1 seconds left to seal the gold medal after a 12-year wait.
