"Effort and passion overcame talent," Coach Son Chang-hwan says, "We decided to go all the way..." [Busan Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

"I asked the players to really torment me, and they really did torment me properly."

Coach Son Chang-hwan of Goyang Sono, who managed to survive from the brink of defeat, let out a sigh of relief.

Goyang Sono defeated Busan KCC 81-80 in the fourth game of the LG Electronics 2025~2026 KBL Championship Finals held at Sajik Indoor Gymnasium in Busan at 4:30 p.m. on the 10th, securing their first victory in the series. After three consecutive losses, they claimed a precious win and signaled the start of their counterattack.

Coach Son Chang-hwan, who broke Busan KCC's momentum at their home court Sajik and pushed the series to a fifth game, attributed all the credit to the players' fighting spirit.

In a post-game press conference, Coach Son Chang-hwan said, "It was thanks to the players who played so hard and maintained their focus. It was a game that showed effort and passion can overcome talent."

The turning point of the game came with 3.6 seconds remaining. In an 80-80 tie situation, the process by which Lee Jung-hyun drew a game-winning free throw was a collaboration between Coach Son Chang-hwan and the players.

When asked about the situation at the time, Coach Son Chang-hwan revealed, "The players came up with ideas. I set the big picture, but the play Lee Jung-hyun proposed was reasonable, so we incorporated it with some adjustments. It was a pattern created on the spot today, and it worked out perfectly that we went for the play at the backdoor when N'Faly Knight got the ball."

He also addressed Lee Jung-hyun's decision to make the first free throw but intentionally miss the second one just before the end, stating, "The players decided this through direct communication. I am grateful and want to praise the Sono players for discussing and resolving this in a progressive direction on their own."

Regarding the crisis where they fell behind after allowing a 14-0 run in the third quarter, he said, "It was a difficult game because Choi Jun-yong's three-pointers started to fall. Since Sono's players are short, it was unavoidable." However, he added, "From the third game onward, there was nowhere to retreat. We decided to go all the way and pushed through to the end."

Especially regarding Im Dong-seop, who led the victory with 18 points (4-of-8 from three-point range), he noted, "Thanks to Im Dong-seop stepping up, we were able to handle the game easily. Jung Hee-jae's condition was not good, and Im Dong-seop was also in a tough situation, but if Kang Ji-hun holds on a bit longer, this lineup will come alive, and there will be a chance to win the fifth game."

The series now moves to Goyang, Sono's home court. Coach Son Chang-hwan said, "I heard the fifth game at home is already sold out. We will definitely win," burning with the will to challenge for a comeback championship.

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*This content was translated by AI.