TEHRAN (FIBA Asia Challenge 2016) – Korea had no trouble at all disposing of SEABA upstart Thailand, 84-43, in the FIBA Asia Challenge 2016 in Tehran, Iran. The East Asian powerhouse led from the get-go and never let up delivering big blows against the hapless Thais.

Turning Point: Behind the hot shooting of Lee JungHyun and the steady play of Kim JongKyu, Korea went on an 8-0 blast to start the game, and they never looked back. From there, Korea continued to pour on the punishment en route to their second win in as many days.

Stats Don't Lie: Korea’s torrid three-point shooting didn’t stop in the first period. Coach Hur Jae’s wards continued to wax hot throughout the game, hitting a total of 14 triples compared to just 3 for Thailand. JungHyun led the way with 4 total threes, while Heo Ung and Heo IlYoung each tallied 3 treys. In all, Korea connected on 40% of their attempts from beyond the arc.

Game Hero: JungHyun’s opening salvo pretty much put the outcome beyond doubt. He played just around 14 minutes in the game, but he scored 12 points — all on three-pointers — on top of 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. He will be one to watch as Korea continues to play at a high level here.

The Bottom Line: As painful as it is, the truth is Thailand was never in this game. The SEABA runners-up just couldn’t recover from the initial spurt of the Koreans. They will hope to bounce back tomorrow against another East Asian power, Japan. As for Korea, they cement their place atop Group D and move on to the next round carrying a 2-0 record.

FIBA