Four elite nations reach highly anticipated basketball tournament semifinals
Powerhouse nations China, Japan, South Korea, and Iran successfully booked their places in the men's basketball semifinals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games following a series of intense quarterfinal matches on Wednesday. China managed to hold off a determined Saudi Arabia side to claim a hard-fought 87-78 victory. Despite losing multiple key forwards to unexpected injuries, Liao delivered a stellar performance by pouring in a game-high 30 points, beautifully supported by Yu Jiahao who contributed 16 points and nine rebounds. This thrilling stage of the tournament emphasises the enduring dominance of East Asian and Middle Eastern nations on the continental basketball landscape, continuing a rich athletic rivalry that stretches back several decades.
South Korea secured a highly decisive 114-80 victory over Jordan, showcasing incredibly deep offensive talent. Star player Lee Hyun-jung led the aggressive charge with 28 points, making six impressive three-pointers in just 20 minutes of dynamic play. This confident win keeps their national hopes alive for securing their very first tournament gold medal in exactly 12 years.
Meanwhile, Iran narrowly escaped a major tournament upset by defeating Bahrain 79-74. With exactly 10.4 seconds remaining on the clock, Bahrain failed to capitalise on multiple missed Iranian free throws, allowing the relieved Iranian squad to survive and advance. Host nation Japan thrilled enthusiastic local fans by successfully eliminating Chinese Taipei with an 85-78 win, led by Kotetsu Kurokawa who scored 23 crucial points.
Fans can expect electrifying athletic action as the semifinal matchups begin on Friday evening. China will directly face off against host nation Japan in what promises to be a highly competitive and energetic game. South Korea strictly prepares to challenge Iran, effectively repeating a classic physical rivalry that previously defined the 2014 championship. These four talented teams now stand just one single victory away from actively playing for the ultimate continental prize.
