The South Korean men's 3x3 basketball team finished the group stage undefeated, securing a spot in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Under the guidance of head coach Bae Gil-tae, the South Korean team defeated Singapore 19-14 in their final group match on September 23 at a temporary court near Ginjofuto Station in Nagoya, Japan. Having previously beaten Thailand and Japan, Korea confirmed their top position in the group with a perfect record.
Korea took control of the game early, building a lead with contributions from Lee Dong-geun and Lee Joo-young. Although Singapore managed to tie the game at 11-11, Korea regained focus in the critical moments. Koo Min-kyu scored in the paint, and Lee Dong-geun hit a three-pointer to reclaim the lead.
Singapore closed the gap to just one point in the final moments, but Lee Joo-young scored consecutively to halt their momentum. Koo Min-kyu and Kim Seung-woo also added points to seal the victory.
Lee Dong-geun led the offense with 7 points and 3 rebounds. Lee Joo-young contributed 5 points and 4 rebounds, while Koo Min-kyu added 4 points and 6 rebounds, and Kim Seung-woo recorded 3 points and 6 assists.
In the group stage, Korea defeated Thailand 21-11 and Japan 21-12, finishing without a loss and advancing to the knockout stage.
The men's 3x3 basketball tournament features players under 23 years old (U-23). Sixteen countries are divided into four groups, with the top team from each group advancing directly to the quarterfinals. The second and third place teams will compete in a play-in tournament for the remaining quarterfinal spots.
Korea will face the winner of the play-in match between Indonesia and China on September 24 at 6:55 PM. The semifinals and finals are scheduled for September 25.
Korea aims for its first gold medal in 3x3 basketball since it became an official event at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games. The team, consisting of Lee Joo-young, Kim Seung-woo, Lee Dong-geun, and Koo Min-kyu, has been competing together internationally, finishing as runners-up at the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup in April.
On the same day, the South Korean women's 3x3 basketball team, led by head coach Jeon Byeong-jun, also completed the group stage with a perfect record, defeating Singapore 22-13 in their final match. They will face the winner of the matchup between Taiwan and Mongolia.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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