South Korea's men's basketball team advanced to the Asian Games final for the first time in 12 years by defeating Iran. The determination of head coach Nikolajs Marzullo, from Latvia, has paid off despite pre-tournament concerns.
On September 18, the South Korean team, led by Marzullo, dominated Iran 77-51 in the semifinals held at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan. Lee Hyun-jung was instrumental in the victory, scoring 26 points.
According to Yonhap News, this win ended a six-game losing streak against Iran and marked South Korea's first appearance in the Asian Games final since winning gold at the 2014 Incheon Games. The team has also secured its first silver medal of the tournament.
Before the tournament, expectations for Marzullo were more cautious than optimistic. South Korea had a record of just 2 wins and 6 losses in pre-tournament matches, with the only victory coming against the Philippines' second team. Under Marzullo, the team struggled with focus in crucial fourth quarters, and their three-point shooting, a traditional strength, was inconsistent.
However, the team's performance improved significantly during the tournament. Yonhap reported that South Korea scored over 100 points in three consecutive games during the group stage and quarterfinals against Indonesia, Japan, and Jordan. Before the semifinals, the team averaged 99.5 points per game with a shooting percentage of 50%. They also led all participating countries with an average of 28.3 assists per game and improved their three-point shooting percentage to 37%.
Marzullo's 'system basketball' has effectively filled the gaps left by players. Despite the late arrival of Choi Jun-yong due to overseas league commitments and the injury of Yeo Jun-seok after the first group match, the team's organization remained intact. In the quarterfinals against Jordan, all 12 players who participated scored.
Marzullo stated, "Even if a specific player is unable to play or is injured, we have prepared so that other players can step in and execute our style of basketball."
South Korea now has just one game left to secure the gold medal, facing the winner of the Japan-China semifinal on September 20.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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