Korea claims final second-round berth as Chinese Taipei bows out

South Korea clinched the final spot in the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers on Monday, while Chinese Taipei was officially eliminated after losses by both teams in the final day of Group B play.

Korea punched its ticket with a hard-fought 81-79 victory over already-qualified Japan at Goyang Arena.

The Koreans entered the final day needing a win to keep their campaign alive, as Chinese Taipei owned the head-to-head tiebreaker and would have advanced had Korea fallen.

Earlier, China secured its own place in the next round with a convincing 92-74 victory over Chinese Taipei, leaving the Taiwanese side needing a Japanese win later in the evening to stay in contention.

Zhao Jiwei and Li Hongquan scored 17 points apiece to lead China. Zhao also dished out six assists and grabbed four rebounds, while Hu Jinqiu added 13 points and six boards.

Chinese Taipei was paced by Benson Lin, who finished with 28 points, five rebounds, and four steals. Chen Yingchun contributed 19 points and seven assists, while Brandon Gilbeck recorded a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double, but their efforts fell short.

In the decisive nightcap, Korea recovered from an early deficit and appeared headed for a comfortable victory after opening a 71-62 lead.

Japan, however, mounted a late charge behind Yuta Watanabe and Josh Hawkinson, who combined to cut the deficit to 80-79 with less than five seconds remaining.

Lee Woo-suk split a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession to push Korea's lead to two before Ryusei Sasaki's potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer missed, sealing the Koreans' place in the second round.

Lee led Korea with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Choi Jun-yong chipped in 16 points.

Hawkinson finished with 30 points and 12 rebounds for Japan, while Watanabe added 18 points and 11 boards.

Korea joins Japan and China as the East Asian representatives in Group F, where they will face Lebanon, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia in the second round.

Lebanon enters the next phase atop the group with a 5-1 record, while Japan and Qatar both carry 4-2 marks. Saudi Arabia, Korea, and China begin the second round tied at 3-3.