'First in history' 6th-seed team aims for championship! KCC defeats Son 1-0 in Game 1 of the championship finals... 'Heo Woong explodes with 19 points' [Goyang on-site review]

*This content was translated by AI.

This is a rebellion by the 6th-seed team in the regular season. Busan KCC has seized the advantage, holding the winning probability of 71.4% (20 out of 28 times) for teams that won the first game in the history of 28 championship finals, moving to a favorable position toward the 0th% miracle.

On the 5th at 2 p.m., KCC secured its first victory by defeating Goyang Sono 75-67 in the first game of the 2025-2026 LG Electronics Professional Basketball Championship Finals (best-of-seven series) played as an away game at Goyang Sono Arena.

KCC's Heo Woong played a standout role, scoring 19 points in the third quarter alone, including four three-pointers (three of which were three-point shots). Sean Long recorded a double-double with 22 points and 19 rebounds, while Heo Hoon posted 8 points, 10 assists, and 4 steals. Choi Jun-yong contributed 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists.

For Sono, Lee Jung-hyun scored 18 points, including four three-pointers, and Nathan Knight fought hard with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.

From the first quarter, both teams were evenly matched. Sono's ace Lee Jung-hyun led the offense with high-efficiency shooting, making 3 of his 5 three-point attempts. In response, KCC's Sean Long and Song Gyo-chang each scored 6 points. Choi Jun-yong added 4 points to boost firepower, while Heo Hoon showed his presence on both offense and defense with 4 assists and 3 steals. After a back-and-forth battle, the first quarter ended with Sono narrowly leading 18-17.

The second quarter belonged to KCC. While Sono struggled with a scoring drought near the basket, KCC's height advantage proved powerful. Choi Jun-yong added 5 points and Sean Long added 4 points to widen the gap. Substitute Yoon Ki-chan, who entered the game, did not miss a single three-point opportunity, completely shifting the atmosphere of the arena in KCC's favor.

On the other hand, although Lee Jung-hyun fought hard for Sono with 11 points in the first half, second option Kevin Kambeo fell into a slump, making only 1 of his 5 field goal attempts. Ultimately, the second quarter ended with KCC leading 34-30 after the first half.

The early part of the third quarter also favored KCC. Heo Hoon, Heo Woong, and Song Gyo-chang scored consecutively, extending the lead to 41-30, a difference of 11 points. Amidst a tense exchange between the two teams, a U-foul was called on Choi Jun-yong.

Heo Woong stepped up as the savior. Sono's perimeter shots repeatedly hit the rim and came out, but Heo Woong made two consecutive three-pointers, pushing the lead to 49-32, a difference of 17 points. When Sono caught up with a three-pointer by Lee Jae-do, KCC maintained the gap again with Heo Woong's long-range shots. The third quarter ended with KCC leading 56-44.

Kambeo, who had struggled unusually that day, finally made his first three-pointer with 8 minutes and 34 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. KCC did not let the momentum slip, thanks to Sean Long's consecutive scoring.

The Heo brothers shone at the crucial moment. With 3 minutes left, Heo Hoon sank a three-pointer to create a 70-57 lead, a difference of 13 points. Following that, Heo Woong's long-range shot sealed the game.

In the final moments of the game, Sono narrowed the gap to 8 points with consecutive three-pointers by Lee Jung-hyun and Im Dong-seop. KCC held on to its lead until the end, securing its first victory in the championship finals on the road.

A 6th-seed team in the regular season has never won the championship finals. KCC, which barely qualified for the playoffs, has now taken the favorable position to set a new record.

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*This content was translated by AI.