SK's Ahn Young-jun runs while taking painkillers... Head Coach Hee-cheol Jeon: "We are too grateful for his fighting spirit despite the injury" [Goyang Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Seoul SK forward Ahn Young-jun (31) is playing through painkillers to help his team, which is on the brink of collapse.

Jeon Hee-cheol (53), head coach of SK, met with reporters ahead of the third game of the 2025–2026 Pro Basketball Playoffs against Goyang Sono at Goyang Sono Arena in Goyang City on the 16th, stating, "As of this morning, the trainer said An Young-jun might not be able to play, but An himself said he would take painkillers and try to play. Since the team has come this far, he seems to be dedicating himself to the team with the spirit of fighting through injury. I am very grateful."

An Young-jun was unable to participate in the first two games due to a calf injury. The former coach stated, "Although his physical condition has not fully recovered, he believes he can play for about 25 minutes as long as the pain does not worsen." An, who was not included in the starting lineup, entered the court in the first quarter with 4 minutes and 10 seconds remaining, replacing Tolentino as the team trailed 7-16.

Coach Jeon, who faced elimination after losing both the first and second games, pointed to stopping Sono's three-point shot in the third game as a key turning point. He stated, "Sono's team averaged around 39 three-point attempts per game during the regular season, but we held them to just 33 in the second game. We clearly confirmed that we could reduce their output."

He added, "The second game had only minor regrets in the third quarter, but we fought well," and pledged to turn the tide, saying, "Although playing an away game today brings pressure, I believe our extensive experience will carry us through."

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*This content was translated by AI.