'Miracle Champ Series' Son Chang-hwan, Goyang Sono Head Coach: "I was surprised watching Heo Woong and Heo Hoon" [Goyang Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Goyang Sono, which advanced through the quarterfinals and semifinals without a single loss, takes its first step toward becoming the first champion in its history at home.

Under the leadership of head coach Son Chang-hwan, Sono will face BusanKCC in the first game of the 2025-2026 LG Electronics Professional Basketball Championship Finals, to be held at 2 p.m. on the 5th at Goyang Sono Arena.

After entering the playoffs as the fifth-ranked team in the regular season and shutting out fourth-ranked SeoulSK and first-ranked ChangwonLG in succession, Sono now faces the super team KCC at the final hurdle.

Ahead of this crucial match, Sono's first-ever Championship Finals appearance, head coach Son Chang-hwan remained calm. Speaking to reporters before the game, Son said, "Rather than feeling nervous or excited, I'm just wondering if our planned strategy will work well. I tend to become calmer when big challenges arise, so I'm thinking about how to overcome them." He added, "I told the players to treat this day just like any other day. He emphasized that this is a great opportunity for them to grow mentally by competing in such a major game."

Regarding the opponent KCC, he did not lower his guard. Son Chang-hwan analyzed, "All five players on the opposing team are superstars incomparable to ours. They are not a team that moves by a set system or structure; they are a team with such excellent individual quickness that dealing with that variable is the most difficult."

He continued, "It is meaningless to try to stop a specific player because everyone is outstanding. The key is how much we can drain their strength in the first half. Sono plans to rotate players smoothly to conserve energy until the second half."

He expressed strong confidence in Nathan Knight, the core of the defense. Regarding Knight's struggles against KCC's Sean Long during the regular season, Son said, "Starting from the sixth round, the playoff mode has kicked in. He has also shown intelligent defense on multiple occasions." He added, "During yesterday's video meeting, Knight took the lead and communicated detailed defensive strategies with the players for over 30 minutes. With that kind of passion, it will be enough."

He also set clear guidelines for the playing time of key players. Son Chang-hwan stated, "Lee Jung-hyun, Kambeo, and Knight will play for 32 to 33 minutes or more. Lee Jung-hyun reportedly said he needs to play over 30 minutes to show his game performance." He pledged to go all out.

Additionally, Son Chang-hwan added, "Heo Woong and Heo Hoon have become different players since the playoffs started. I was surprised to see them actively participating in rebounds. There is no advantage for Sono in a long series. As physical exhaustion sets in, there will be many difficulties, including injury variables. Both teams will want to end the series as quickly as possible. The first game will tell us a lot. Whether it will be a battle of firepower remains to be seen."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.