[Anchor]

The South Korean men's national basketball team secured a resounding victory over Jordan at the Nagoya Asian Games, advancing to the semifinals for the first time in 8 years. Ace Lee Hyun-jung, who is exceptionally strong in the third quarter, continued his explosive performance today (September 16), brightening the team's prospects for gold.

Reporter Ha Seong-nyong has the story.

[Reporter]

Lee Hyun-jung, who attempted seven 3-pointers in the previous match against Japan and made only one, fired away from the perimeter without hesitation against Jordan.

His showtime in the third quarter was particularly intense.

He rained down 3-pointers from anywhere on the court, racking up 19 points entirely in the third quarter alone.

Playing less than 21 minutes, he swept up a game-high 28 points, including six 3-pointers, leading the team to a fiery, dominant victory.

[Lee Hyun-jung / Men's National Basketball Team Forward: I am always confident and plan to shoot whenever I get an opening. Because we have so many players who can potentially explode, I feel less mental pressure.]

Beyond his signature 3-point shooting, Lee Hyun-jung is fulfilling his role as an ace on both offense and defense.

He is putting up all-around numbers with 2.5 steals, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, and ranks second overall in scoring with an average of 22.8 points across four games.

In particular, he is continuing his "promised third quarter" by scoring more than half of his total points during this crucial juncture of the game.

With Lee Hyun-jung holding down the fort, Lee Jeong-hyeon and Yu Gi-sang are also firing from long range, and with the addition of Yeo Jun-seok and Choi Jun-yong, the national team has unblinkingly notched four straight wins. Lee Hyun-jung vowed not to stop running until he achieves the dream of gold.

[Lee Hyun-jung / Men's National Basketball Team Forward: I am ready to do whatever it takes for the team to win. We will definitely make sure our team wins the championship and takes home the gold medal.]

(Video Journalist: Kim Se-kyung, Video Editor: Hwang Ji-young, Design: Seo Seung-hyun)