S. Korea beats Japan for men's basketball gold

South Korea claimed the men's basketball gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games by defeating Japan 67-57 on Sunday. The victory marked the end of a 12-year gold medal drought for South Korea in this event. Forward Lee Hyun-jung was a standout performer, scoring 27 points, including 13 in the decisive third quarter, and grabbing 18 rebounds.

This win followed an unbeaten run for South Korea, which had previously defeated Japan 100-83 in the group stage. The second match was a low-scoring affair, with Japan shooting only 28% from the field in the first half, compared to South Korea's 33% over the first 20 minutes. In the first quarter, South Korea took an early 11-5 lead but then only managed to score one more point in the remainder of the quarter.

Both teams missed several easy opportunities at the basket, with South Korea rushing offensive plays in particular. Japan led 16-12 after the first quarter, with Kazuma Tsuya scoring a three-pointer to extend their lead to 19-12 early in the next quarter. However, South Korean shooters found their rhythm and ultimately emerged victorious.