The South Korean men's basketball national team, aiming for its first Asian Games gold medal in 12 years, wrapped up its final two-match sparring series against the Philippines with back-to-back landslide victories.

Led by head coach Nikolais Mazurs, South Korea cruised to a 69-42 victory over the Philippines in the second friendly match held at the KT Sonicboom Arena in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province.

Having won the first match 81-55, South Korea secured consecutive runaway wins, raising expectations for its first championship victory in 12 years since the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

Team Mazurs also extended its winning streak to three games, dating back to a 2027 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup Asian Qualifiers match against Saudi Arabia on August 31.

South Korea's overall record under head coach Mazurs stands at 4 wins and 6 losses.

With the victories in this two-match series, South Korea also reached its 30th all-time win against the Philippines.

Although the Philippines is a powerhouse in Asia that claimed the gold medal at the 2023 Hangzhou tournament, the squad that traveled to South Korea for away matches missed Justin Brownlee, the U.S.-born naturalized player who served as a key protagonist in their Hangzhou championship run.

Furthermore, among the members who secured two consecutive wins in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers last month, only two—Justine Arana and Justin Baltazar—were included in this national team roster.

The Philippines is expected to head into the Asian Games with a squad that is effectively a second-string team visiting South Korea.

South Korea pulled away quickly from the first quarter, propelled by Yoo Gi-sang, who exploded with four consecutive 3-pointers.

Plagued by severe shooting slumps, the Philippines managed only 2 points during the first nine minutes or so of the game, allowing South Korea to widen the gap significantly to 19-4 by the end of the quarter.

In the second quarter, Yeo Jun-seok poured in 8 points under the basket, pushing South Korea further ahead to 38-14.

There was no change in the momentum during the second half either.

Yoo Gi-sang shone on the perimeter, while Yeo Jun-seok dominated under the basket.

Yoo Gi-sang scored a game-high 15 points, while Yeo Jun-seok contributed the second-most with 14 points.

Ace Lee Hyun-jung, who already surpassed 10 rebounds in the third quarter, recorded a double-double with 11 points.

(Photo: Yonhap News)