"Must do it in Busan..." Coach Lee Sang-min, eyeing a new history, aims to 'sweep the 6th-place rebellion' in the KCC Champions Finals [Busan]

*This content was translated by AI.

After securing two consecutive away victories and crossing the 70th% threshold for the championship, Busan KCC coach Lee Sang-min vowed to lift the trophy at his home court, Sajik.

KCC will face Goyang Sono in the third game of the 2025-2026 LG Electronics Professional Basketball Champions Finals (best-of-seven series) at 2 p.m. on the 9th at Busan Sajik Indoor Gymnasium.

Coach Lee Sang-min told reporters before the game, "I heard that KCC has never won a championship in Busan. If we win the third game, we will cross the 90th% threshold for the championship. Many home fans will come to the stadium, and we will be energized to definitely win."

They have secured an absolutely advantageous position. Coach Lee Sang-min's KCC won both the first and second games played away, achieving a perfect 2-0 record.

However, Coach Lee Sang-min did not let his guard down until the end. Sono has the strength to achieve consecutive sweeps in the quarterfinals and semifinals, led by the powerful firepower of Lee Jung-hyun and Kevin Kambeo. KCC successfully blocked Kambeo in the first and second games of the Champions Finals to secure victory. Coach Lee Sang-min stated, "I emphasized to the players the patterns that Sono uses most frequently. I don't know if Sono will use irregular defense in this game, but since the players have executed the tactics well so far, we have no plans to make major changes."

Two years ago, KCC defeated Suwon KT to achieve the first regular-season fifth-place team to win the championship in history. This season, they aim to reclaim the trophy for the first time by a sixth-place team. Coach Lee Sang-min said, "We didn't get outrebounded much in the first and second games of the Champions Finals. We also emphasized fundamentals such as box-outs in the third game. I keep telling the players about the importance of fast breaks."

In the second game, foreign player Sean Long struggled against Sono's pressure defense but instead encouraged his teammates and took on the tough tasks. Coach Lee Sang-min noted, "Sean Long seems to be feeling the weight of the Champions Finals. He has never won a championship before, so his desire to win is great."

The presence of Song Gyo-chang and Choi Jun-yong, who shut down Sono's attempts to exploit mismatches, was highly praised. Coach Lee Sang-min added, "Song Gyo-chang is one of the top resources in the league. He has both height and speed. He is doing a good job of guarding the opposing key player, Kevin Kambeo. Choi Jun-yong's strength is his aggressive drives, but he is restraining himself due to his physical condition and stamina. Both players have very clear strengths."

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*This content was translated by AI.