“Game over in 1 minute, 20 seconds”: South Korea’s 3x3 basketball team routs the Philippines 21-9, targets first-ever gold medal [Nagoya Asian Games]

[Financial News] South Korea’s men’s 3x3 basketball team has cleared a major hurdle on its path to the country’s first-ever Asian Games gold medal, riding a powerful university-team surge on the Asian stage. The team thoroughly dominated the Philippines in the semifinal and secured its place in the final with a commanding performance.
South Korea’s men’s 3x3 basketball team, coached by Bae Gil-tae, easily defeated the Philippines 21-9 in the semifinal of the men’s 3x3 basketball tournament at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on the 25th. The game was held on a special court at the plaza outside Kinjo-futo Station in Nagoya, Japan.
South Korea reached the Asian Games final for the first time in eight years, since winning the silver medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, when 3x3 basketball was introduced as an official event for the first time.
The team, made up of four university players—Lee Ju-young and Seungwoo Kim of Yonsei University, Lee Dong-geun of Korea University (KU), and Koo Min-gyo of Sungkyunkwan University—carried the momentum from their runner-up finish at the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) 3x3 Asia Cup in April into Nagoya.
The semifinal was effectively decided early. Lee Ju-young and Seungwoo Kim hit consecutive two-point shots immediately after the opening tip, completely seizing the initiative from the Philippines. South Korea took an 8-1 lead just over 1 minute and 20 seconds into the game and gained an early foothold.
South Korea’s offensive barrage continued. Seungwoo Kim’s two-pointer with 7 minutes and 9 seconds remaining widened the gap to 13-2. Holding a commanding lead, South Korea reached the 21-point target that ends a 3x3 game when Lee Ju-young calmly sank another two-pointer with 29 seconds left, bringing the contest to an immediate end.
The balanced contributions from the players also stood out. Seungwoo Kim led the offense with 8 points and 3 rebounds, while Lee Ju-young scored 6 points, Lee Dong-geun added 4 points and 5 rebounds, and Koo Min-gyo contributed 3 points and 5 rebounds. Together, they thoroughly controlled the interior and perimeter and quashed the Philippines’ hopes of a comeback. South Korea, seeking its first-ever gold medal, will face the winner of the Qatar-Iran semifinal in the final at 7:30 p.m. on the 25th.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s women’s 3x3 basketball team made history by reaching the Asian Games semifinals for the first time, but lost 19-8 to host Japan in the semifinal, ending its hopes of reaching the final. The women’s team, consisting of Kim Jeong-eun of BNK, Choi Ye-seul of Samsung Life Insurance, Heo Yu-jeong of Shinhan Bank, and Song Yun-ha of KB Stars, will face Thailand in a final battle for a valuable bronze medal.
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