Photo credit: FIBA | fiba.basketball
World No. 40 and Asia’s No. 7 Gilas Pilipinas Men suffered a 81-55 loss to the South Korea National Basketball Team in their first of two tune up games on Friday, September 4 at Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena in Suwon.
South Korea started the game strong, going on a 9-0 run to take a 24-18 lead after the opening quarter and holding a 45-33 advantage at halftime. Korea maintained its lead through the third quarter, 57-44, before pulling away in the final frame to secure the victory.
Jung-hyun Lee led the Koreans with a game-high 27 points, knocking down 7-of-11 from three-point range, while also adding 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Woo-suk Lee chipped in 10 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting, along with 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 blocks.
South Korea shot 22-of-33 from two-point range and 9-of-32 from beyond the arc, while going 10-of-16 from the free-throw line. The Koreans also dominated the glass, 49-41, and held a 23-12 advantage in assists. Korea finished with 6 blocks to the Philippines’ one, while Gilas had the edge in steals, 13-8.
Justine Baltazar led the all-PBA Gilas Pilipinas team with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 4-of-9 from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range. He also added 2 assists and 3 steals in 25 minutes of play. Adrian Nocum finished with 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting, along with 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal in 16 minutes.
Gilas Pilipinas shot 18-of-55 (33%) from two-point range, 5-of-27 from three-point range, and 4-of-7 from the free-throw line.
Both teams will meet again on Sunday, September 6 at 1:00pm (LIVE) for the second tune up game as part of their preparations for the 2026 Asian Games.
NOTE: Visit this link for Asian Games 2026 Men's Basketball updates, the full schedule, standings, and more.
The Scores:
KOREA 81 – Lee JH 27, Lee WS 10, Yeo JS 8, Moon YH 8, Daniel 7, Lee HJ 6, Lee SH 6, An YJ 3, Jang JS 3, Byeon JH 3, Yu DNP, Lee DNP.
PHILIPPINES 55 – Baltazar 15, Nocum 10, Ganuelas-Rosser 7, Arana 6, Ahanmisi 5, Trollano 5, Lucero 3, Barefield 2, Bolick 2, Bates 0, Abarrientos 0.
Quarters: 24-18, 45-33, 57-44, 81-55.
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