grapplegraphics.com Chu Il-seung will play in the round of 12.
The South Korean national basketball team, led by head coach Chu Il-seung, fell 77-83 to Japan in the final game of Group D of the men’s basketball competition at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games on Tuesday at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China.
South Korea, which had previously defeated Indonesia (95-55) and Qatar (76-64), lost to Japan to finish first in the group. South Korea will need to advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament, which begins on October 2.
Chu Il-seung leads the South Korean national team. Photo courtesy of the Korea Basketball Association
South Korea’s ace Heo Hoon. Photo courtesy of the Korea Basketball Association
For the tournament, Japan fielded a squad that did not include a single player from last month’s FIBA World Cup.
South Korea also lost the likes of Choi Jun-yong and Oh Se-geun to injuries, but 바카라Japan’s second unit gave them the upper hand.
However, Korea had to settle for a bitter defeat as Japan outplayed them in every aspect of the game. Heo Hoon led the way with 24 points, but it wasn’t enough.
From the beginning of the game, Korea was dragged down by Japan. Allowing a lot of shots from the perimeter was the main reason. Yang Hong-seok, Ragan-ah, and Heo Hoon struggled, but the supporting shooting from other players was lacking.
Desperate, South Korea fought back in the second quarter. Ragan-ah dominated under the basket, while Jeon Sung-hyun’s outside shooting was on fire. Korea ended the first quarter with a 37-43 lead.
The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair. Korea managed to pull away at one point midway through the quarter, but couldn’t stop the Japanese outside shooting. They also lost the rebounding battle and were unable to fully capitalize on the momentum.
The fourth quarter opened with a 53-61 score. Korea still gave up a few outside shots to Japan. Heo Hoon worked diligently to break through the Japanese defense, but to no avail, and Korea advanced to the round of 12.