''We have to keep fighting'' - Ater Majok

BUSAN (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers) - For an entire half, Lebanon looked poised to bet Korea last night, but the Cedars collapsed in the second half and lost, 84-71.

"We have 3 more games, and we just gotta keep fighting." - Ater Majok

The visiting Lebanese were aggressive and took the fight to Korea early on, but they succumbed to the home team's renewed spirit in the third quarter and never recovered.

"We played well in the first half," said Lebanon head coach Slobodan Subotic. "But we lost our concentration in the second half, and that's why we lost the game."

Lebanon were outscored, 57-36, in the last two periods, and their lead that stood highest at 11 points dissipated and was turned into a double-digit deficit by the surging Koreans.

"We came out and played hard in the first half," said center Ater Majok, who tallied 11 points, 17 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. "But Korea never stopped playing, and in the second half, we just dropped the ball.

The loss dealt Lebanon their third loss in nine games, though they are still in the running for a berth in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 as they are sitting in third place ahead of World Cup hosts China, who are in fourth position.

This situation makes Lebanon's next assignment extra significant, since they will fly to Foshan and are set to collide with the Chinese on 2 December. If Lebanon win that match, they will strengthen their position and have one foot in the door for the World Cup.

Despite their loss here in Busan, Majok is still in relatively high spirits moving forward. He knows they have to take the lessons from this game and apply them in their last three Asian Qualifiers fixtures.

"We just gotta learn from this and not repeat the same mistakes," he said. "We have 3 more games, and we just gotta keep fighting."

FIBA