If Oh Jae-hyun makes three 3-pointers, he will win,”
Jeon Hee-chul, coach of the professional basketball Seoul SK team, was right. SK started spring basketball with a pleasant victory thanks to Oh Jae-hyun’s great performance in the offense and defense. Opponent Jeonju KCC was even struck by the sudden departure of Lee Seung-hyun, the main axis, due to injury.
SK defeated KCC 89 to 73 in the first leg of the 2022-2023 professional basketball quarterfinal playoff held at the Jamsil Student Gymnasium in Seoul on the 3rd. SK, which succeeded in overtaking the baseline, will play a semi-final against Changwon LG if it wins two more in the future.
Both teams met each other with unsatisfactory power. In KCC, Heo Woong’s physical condition was not perfect, and SK removed Choi Jun-yong, who could hardly recover from a heel injury, from the roster. It was calculated that he would not be able to play the rest of the game if he overreacted and the injury worsened.
It was a somewhat risky decision in a situation where KCC had to overcome, but it had its own basis. The rise seen in the second half of the regular season was the source. In the 9 games of the 6th round where they won all, the ‘MVP duo’ Jameel Warney and Kim Seon-hyeong combined for an average of 47.22 points. To this, Bukyung Choi added 12.38 points. Coach Jeon Hee-cheol showed confidence, saying, “(Even with Choi Jun-yong’s absence), the movement of existing players is well established.”
His prediction of naming Oh Jae-hyeon as the key player was exactly right. Oh Jae-hyun made a big success by scoring 11 points in the first half alone, and finally exploded with 17 points, including three 3-pointers. Not to mention his defensive prowess. Ranked among the top 5 defenders in the regular league, he broke the momentum of KCC’s offense with consistent pressure defense. Warney and Kim Seon-hyung also performed double-double with 26 points and 12 rebounds, 11 points and 10 assists, respectively, and achieved 120% of the league’s best combination.
KCC could not overcome the sluggishness of Heo Woong, the main axis. Heo Woong, who was missing from the starting match that day, was replaced from the first quarter amid thunderous cheers from away fans, but he could hardly find a shot and only scored 4 points in the final. He failed to make a single 3-pointer in 5 attempts. 온라인바카라To make things worse, even Lee Seung-hyun left the court with help from a sudden injury in the third quarter. Veteran Laguna struggled with 28 points and 12 rebounds, scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter alone, but the game was virtually decided.
Coach Jeon Hee-chul gave credit to the players, saying, “Even though it was a playoff, it was the most comfortable game I played this season.” Oh Jae-hyeon, the winner of the victory, lowered his body, saying, “The ball came as I practiced and my confident throw went well.” SK, who won one win first in front of home fans, is aiming for a consecutive win at the same place on the 5th.