The Changwon LG Sakers defeated the Busan KCC Aegis 104-84 in the first round of the 2023-2024 Korean Basketball League at Changwon Gymnasium on Tuesday.
LG jumped into second place with a five-game winning streak based on fresh basketball. On the same day, leader DB’s seven-game winning streak was snapped, making LG the team with the longest current winning streak in the league.
LG was considered a top contender before the start of the season based on its solid depth and defense. However, they got off to a bad start, losing three straight games to start the season. The defense was still there, but the anemic offense was the problem. During the three-game losing streak, LG averaged just 72.0 points.레모나토토 주소
Coach Cho said in an interview after the three-game losing streak, “I think I’m not good enough. This is the reality of our team. If the ball derived from Asem Marii could lead to a goal, Marii would be fun, but it didn’t happen. When you’re defending and scoring goals, you have the power to run away,” he said, quickly coming to terms with the reality.
Despite the worrisome start, LG has already won five straight games, starting on October 28 against Gasworks. On that day, they dominated KCC from the start and secured a complete victory at home. They also finished the first round with a winning percentage of over 5%.
The key to LG’s rebound has been a 180-degree turnaround in their offense, which has gone from being a liability to averaging 86.6 points during their five-game winning streak. They’ve scored 85 points or more in four of the five games, with fewer ups and downs.
Against KCC, LG’s revitalized offense was on full display. They scored 25 points in the first quarter, 27 points in the second quarter, and 32 points in the third quarter, pounding their opponents all game long. The rookie Yoo was particularly stellar from three-point range, hitting 16 of 28 shots. Rookie Yoo Yoo-sang had his best day since his debut, knocking down a whopping six three-pointers.
LG is a team with a lot of outside shots derived from strong perimeter option Asem Marei. However, during their three-game losing streak, the team was plagued by a 25.0% three-point shooting percentage, which unsurprisingly led to low scoring numbers.
LG, which was lacking in outside support, has changed. During their five-game winning streak, including the game against KCC, they have a 40.2% three-point percentage. The explosion from the outside has made the inside player Marei excited.
Coach Cho Sang-hyun also said after the five-game winning streak, “The players made it happen. The defense was good and Marrei was dominant under the basket and the outside shots from there were good. We shot over 57% with 16 three-pointers. If we play like we did today, we can have a 90-point game. If the passing isn’t smooth, it won’t go the way you want it to, but I think it came out well today as we prepared for it. Our shots off of double teams were also good,” he smiled.
LG will look to extend their winning streak to six games against Jeong Kwanjang on December 12. Can the rejuvenated offense pull off the upset in a battle between a five-game winning streak and a three-game winning streak?
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