"I'm not bloated yet"→ I went to three hospitals, but I don't know..." Sono ace Lee Jung-hyun is out again

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Jung-hyun (26), the ace of the Goyang Sono Sky Gunners and the "No. 1 scorer in Korea" in men's professional basketball this season, will miss his second consecutive game. It is said that the thigh swelling still does not come out.

On the 1st, Goyang Sono will play a home game against the Daegu Korea Gas Corporation Pegasus in the third round of the "2025-2026 LG Electronics Professional Basketball" at Goyang Sono Arena in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do. From Sono's point of view, it is a must-win game due to the team's situation of losing seven consecutive home games.

In this situation, the physical condition of Lee Jung-hyun, Sono's key guard, has emerged as an important variable. Lee Jung-hyun, who also decided against the SK Knights in Seoul on December 29 due to thigh bruises, is the No. 1 player among domestic players in the average scoring category and seventh overall with an average score of 18.5 points in 25 games this season. He played an average of 36 minutes and 4 seconds in nine games during the second round and was named the round MVP (best player) with an average of 22.3 points.

Son Chang-hwan (50), head coach of Sono, told reporters ahead of the game, "I also took MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and tried it, but the swelling still hasn't come out. I didn't think it was a big problem just because it was a simple bruise, but I couldn't go out. I went to three hospitals, but they said they didn't know why. The initial hospital said it would be okay if I manage it for a day or two, but the swelling doesn't go away, so I'm going to wait first.

In the end, Lee Jung-hyun, who scored nearly 20 points on average, is out, so the key to the match is to prevent the opponent's score. Coach Son said, "I've put a lot of emphasis on defense. I'm trying to find a way. In fact, it's quite big that the main guard is missing. I kept that in mind and prepared for the game. I hope the energy comes up a little bit, but I don't know if the players will show their energy well," he added.

First of all, Sono will put up Cho Eun-hoo as the starting guard on the day. Nathan Knight, Kang Ji-hoon, Kevin Kembao and Choi Seung-wook will start.

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*This content was translated by AI.