“It’s already the third quarter, we’re trailing by eight points, and our foreign player is in foul trouble with four fouls.” DB’s moment of maximum crisis… But Head Coach Lee Gyu-seop made a bold call: “No substitutions.” The gamble paid off in a thrilling comeback victory.

*This content was translated by AI.

It was already the third quarter, and the team was trailing by eight points, with their foreign player on the brink of disqualification due to four personal fouls.

It was Wonju DB’s moment of maximum crisis. But Head Coach Lee Gyu-seop of DB did not back down. Instead, he made his move at that very moment. It was a bold decision uncharacteristic of a rookie head coach, and the result led to a thrilling comeback victory.

On the 4th, at the Wonju DB Promy Arena, DB secured a 95-86 comeback win in their home game against Goyang Sono in the 2026~2027 KCC Pro Basketball League.

For Head Coach Lee Gyu-seop, who took the helm of DB for the first time this season, it was his debut as a head coach in the regular season. However, his judgment at crucial moments did not resemble that of a novice.

The game was far from easy throughout. In particular, a critical crisis arrived in the middle of the third quarter.

With 6 minutes and 11 seconds remaining in the third quarter, DB trailed 52-60 by eight points. To make matters worse, foreign player Laion Hammonds had already committed four personal fouls.

One more foul would have resulted in immediate ejection. It was a maximum crisis where they could lose their key foreign player while needing to overcome an eight-point deficit.

Under normal circumstances, the choice might have been to bring Hammonds to the bench and prepare for the fourth quarter. Moreover, Head Coach Lee Gyu-seop had a bad memory of a similar situation in the past.

After the game, the coach recalled, “During the off-season, there was one instance where Hammonds committed four fouls. In a game against a Philippine team at the Jones Cup, I told him it was fine and let him keep playing, but he immediately picked up his fifth foul. That led to a difficult game.”

Despite that experience, he made the opposite choice this time.

After sharing his thoughts with his coaching staff, Coach Lee pushed Hammonds to stay on the court. Instead of avoiding risk and waiting for the fourth quarter, he staked everything on the immediate contest.

The reason was clear. He judged that if they pulled Hammonds out in a situation where the gap had already widened to eight points and ceded momentum, even the chance to turn the game around in the fourth quarter could vanish.

The coach explained, “I told my coaches my thoughts. In any case, only one foreign player can play in the fourth quarter. I said that rather than starting the fourth quarter while trailing like this, we should make our move here.”

He added, “It was less about winning the game itself and more about the fact that if we fell further behind here, it would be meaningless when the fourth quarter started. So I boldly kept Hammonds in the game.”

It was a bold gamble right from his debut as head coach.

In the end, the gamble hit the mark perfectly.

Hammonds avoided his fifth foul and stayed on the court, and DB gradually regained momentum.

Kang Sang-jae’s outside shooting caught fire. DB quickly narrowed the gap, and with 51.2 seconds left in the third quarter, Kang Sang-jae hit a three-pointer to tie the game.

It did not end there. Kang Sang-jae sank another three-pointer, allowing DB to take a 74-71 lead heading into the end of the third quarter.

Thanks to this, DB carried that momentum into the fourth quarter. Kang Sang-jae and Lee Sun Albano actively joined the rebounding battle, while Lee Yong-woo and Lee Woo-jin hit outside shots to widen the gap.

Head Coach Lee Gyu-seop originally had a follow-up plan. He intended to maintain momentum with Hammonds and then bring in Henry Ellenson in the middle of the fourth quarter to close out the game.

However, there was no need to pull that card. Led by the performances of Lee Yong-woo and Kang Sang-jae, DB seized the initiative first.

The coach explained, “Initially, because Hammonds had four fouls, I planned to ride the momentum normally, prepare Ellenson, and bring him in when about seven or five minutes remained in the fourth quarter to finish the game.”

He continued, “But before we moved on to that next plan, Lee Yong-woo and Kang Sang-jae performed well, the point gap widened, and the game was decided.”

The coach repeatedly emphasized, “The chemistry between Hammonds and the other players was good, so I pushed forward with that lineup.”

It was a nerve and judgment uncharacteristic of a rookie coach. DB also announced a fresh start with a pleasant comeback victory.

On this day, veteran Kang Sang-jae recorded 19 points and 7 rebounds, including five three-pointers. In particular, his three three-pointers in the third quarter, where DB went from chasing to tying and then taking the lead, were decisive.

Ellenson guarded the paint with 19 points and 8 rebounds. Captain Lee Sun Albano also delivered a near-triple-double performance with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists. Hammonds recorded 13 points and 7 rebounds.

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*This content was translated by AI.