"Unbelievable." The No. 1 option commits four fouls in the first half — is this for real? Coach Kang Hyuk: "Aluma must reflect and become more savvy"

*This content was translated by AI.

Kebe Aluma (28), the "No. 1 option" foreign player for the Daegu Korea Gas Corporation Pegasus, committed four fouls in just the first half and was forced to sit on the bench. Coach Kang Hyuk, who suffered a narrow defeat, could not hide his deep disappointment.

Korea Gas Corporation lost 73-82 to the Goyang Sono Skygunners in a regular-season game of the 2026-2027 KCC Pro Basketball League held at the Goyang Sono Arena on the 3rd.

After the game, Coach Kang Hyuk reflected on the match when speaking with reporters: "We were somewhat successful in limiting the opponent's strength, their three-point shooting. However, our handling of fast breaks and transition offense was immature when the opponents made mistakes or turned the ball over. Ra Gun-ah ran well up the court, but the passes from the perimeter stalled. It is regrettable that we could not seize the momentum in that aspect."

One of the painful causes of Korea Gas Corporation's defeat on this day was the early foul trouble of "No. 1 option" foreign player Aluma. Aluma had already accumulated four personal fouls just before the end of the second quarter and had to leave the court. As a result, 37-year-old Ra Gun-ah ended up playing more than planned. Aluma's playing time was limited to 20 minutes and 10 seconds, while Ra Gun-ah played for 28 minutes and 29 seconds, scoring 21 points. In the third quarter, when two foreign players were allowed on the court, Aluma remained on the bench.

Coach Kang Hyuk also did not hold back his criticism, stating, "The fact that Aluma committed four fouls before the end of the first half is something he must definitely reflect on." He added, "A similar situation occurred during the exhibition games (open matches), so I had asked him to be careful with foul management. He is a player who is extremely aggressive, but now he needs to play the game more smartly."

Coach Kang continued, "We managed to lower the opponent's scoring, but our offense not flowing was the reason for the loss. We need to prepare more thoroughly for attacks when spacing or mismatches occur. It is regrettable that the scoring support from domestic players, including Belangel, was insufficient."

At least, Park Jun-young's performance in filling Aluma's absence in the third quarter by scoring 10 points and supporting the team was a great source of comfort.

Finally, Coach Kang offered encouragement: "Player Park Jun-young did an excellent job serving as a link for the team. He has good passing sense and fills in the team's shortcomings well. He makes passes that activate other players from the No. 4 position, and because he also has shooting ability, he has the advantage of being able to widen the offensive space (spacing). He really worked hard today, and I want to praise him. If we coordinate our movements more, the entire team will definitely improve."

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*This content was translated by AI.