Forget "Six Consecutive Last Places," Samsung: Thrilling 81-76 Road Win Over KT in Opener... "Canter and McCollum Combine for 49 Points" [Suwon On-Site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Seoul Samsung, aiming to shed the burden of finishing last for six consecutive seasons, displayed a changed demeanor from the opening game. They secured a valuable victory on the road, marking a positive start to the season.

Samsung defeated Suwon KT 81-76 in an away game during the opening match of the 2026~2027 KCC Pro Basketball regular season, held at Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena at 4:30 p.m. on the 4th.

Samsung's foreign duo, Kerem Canter and Chris McCollum, combined for 49 points to lead the offense. Canter delivered a double-double with 30 points and 13 rebounds, mixing interior dominance with outside shooting, while McCollum contributed 19 points and 8 rebounds, including crucial three-pointers in key moments. Lee Gwan-hee and Han Ho-bin also provided outside support with 7 and 6 points, respectively.

KT's ace, Paris Bass, fought hard with a double-double of 33 points and 11 rebounds. Additionally, Miguel Okon scored 11 points including three three-pointers, Kang Seong-wook added 9 points and 2 assists, and Moon Jung-hyun contributed 5 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists, but they could not prevent the team's defeat.

The first quarter was a tight contest. As the quarter drew to a close, both teams' shooting improved, leading to an intense exchange. KT led the offense with Okon hitting all three of his three-point attempts in the first quarter, while Kang Seong-wook added 5 points. However, Bass, who had been expected to perform well, was held to just 2 points under Samsung's pressure. Samsung countered with balanced scoring from Canter (6 points) and McCollum (5 points), ending the first quarter tied at 20-20.

Entering the second quarter, Samsung began to seize control with outside shooting. Early in the quarter, Han Ho-bin's three-pointer went through the hoop, and when KT responded with an outside shot from Bass, McCollum and Lee Gwan-hee hit consecutive three-pointers to extend the lead to 31-27. Following this, Samsung induced turnovers against Bass through focused defense and quickly pulled away to a 39-33 lead.

The home team's resilience was also formidable. KT launched a comeback effort led by Moon Jung-hyun's outside shooting and Kang Seong-wook's fast-break transitions, ending the first half tied at 45-45.

The momentum shifted in Samsung's favor entering the third quarter. Early in the quarter, Canter's three-pointer went through the hoop, followed by Shin Dong-hyuk's two-point shot, extending Samsung's lead to 57-49. KT's Bass, whose offense had stalled, showed some frustration on the court after a passing error. The struggling KT narrowed the gap to 52-57 with an outside shot from Jeon Seong-hyun with 3 minutes and 50 seconds remaining in the quarter, and Samsung headed into the fourth quarter leading 60-57 by three points.

In the final fourth quarter, the score remained close amidst a fierce back-and-forth battle. KT launched a counterattack centered around Bass, while Samsung countered with Canter dominating the paint. Trailing 67-65 with 4 minutes and 27 seconds remaining, Samsung calmly waited for an opportunity.

The game-winner was McCollum. On an offensive possession with 3 minutes and 16 seconds remaining, after nearly exhausting the shot clock, McCollum's three-point attempt went through the hoop, extending Samsung's lead to 74-65, a nine-point cushion that secured the victory.

With 1 minute and 41 seconds left, KT closed the gap to 70-75 on Seo Min-su's first three-pointer of the game. Samsung then pulled away to 77-70 after Canter made both free throws.

The outcome remained uncertain until the end. With 56.2 seconds remaining, Bass scored a layup, narrowing KT's deficit to just three points at 74-77.

Samsung ultimately shook off KT's fierce pursuit to secure a road victory in the season opener.

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*This content was translated by AI.