[프로농구] Winners KCC and DB side by side in the opening match

[서울=뉴스핌] Sports Reporter Jang Hwan-soo = KCC and DB, the championship candidates for the 2024-2025 professional basketball season, won their first game together.

Last season’s champion KCC defeated runner-up KT 77-72 in the official opening match held at Sajik Gymnasium on the 19th.

Button, who was selected as the best foreign player by DB in the 2017-2018 season, returned from the United States and played a key role in the victory by scoring 40 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. Button dominated the court, recording four interceptions and four blocked shots.

Heo Woong, the best player in last season’s championship match, also contributed to the victory by scoring 18 points by hitting 4 3-point shots at key moments.

KCC led the first half with a 43-30 lead led by Button, who scored 20 points in the second quarter alone. KT started to catch up thanks to the performance of new foreign player Hemans (32 points) and trailed by 2 points at the end of the fourth quarter.

However, Heo Woong made it 70-64 with a 3-pointer, and with 1 minute and 14 seconds left, he hit a 3-pointer to make it 75-70, breaking KT’s will to chase.

KCC coach Jeon Chang-jin received technical fouls twice while protesting the referee’s decision in the second quarter, becoming the first coach to be ejected this season.

DB defeated Samsung 88-83 in the first game held at Wonju Sports Complex. Last season’s MVP, Albano, scored the most with 29 points, followed by Kim Jong-gyu and Carter with 12 points each, and Onuaku with 11 points, and five other players scored in double figures.

[서울=뉴스핌] Sports reporter Jang Hwan-soo = DB Albano, who was named the best player last season, is attempting a layup in the opening game between Samsung and Wonju on the 19th. [사진=KBL] 2024.10.19 [email protected]

Samsung trailed by 3 points, 65-68, with Lee Jung-hyun’s 3-point shot with 8 minutes and 20 seconds left. However, DB ran away with consecutive scores from Carter and Albano, and with 2 minutes and 1 second left, Albano scored a 3-point shot to make it 82-76.

DB, which ranked first in the regular season last season but lost to KCC in the semifinal playoffs, won the KBL Cup and emerged as a powerhouse that will compete for the championship this season as well.

In Changwon, LG staged a comeback in the fourth quarter and defeated Korea Gas Corporation 70-67.

Marey dominated the scoring with 19 points and 19 rebounds, and transfer student Doo Kyung-min contributed to the victory with 13 points.

With 2 minutes and 41 seconds left in the fourth quarter, LG tied the score at 63-63 with a layup following Jeong In-deok’s interception, then turned the game around to 67-63 with Marey’s two free throws and Tamayo’s layup.

With 11 seconds left, Doo Kyung-min’s free throw increased the score to 70-67, and Korea Gas Corporation’s Jeong Seong-woo’s 3-point shot just before the end missed, securing the win.

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