"The greatest strength" — scored just 2 points, yet both the head coach and the ace showered praise: Jeong Hyo-geun's remarkable dedication... led DB to a fourth-quarter comeback victory with his rebounding [Wonju on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The star who led Wonju DB's thrilling comeback victory was "ace" Lee Sun Albano. However, after the game, Head Coach Lee Gyu-seop and Albano both praised a particular player in unison. That player was veteran forward Jeong Hyo-geun (33). Although he scored only 2 points, his dedication at crucial moments shone brighter than anyone else's.

DB, led by Head Coach Lee Gyu-seop, secured an 84-76 comeback victory over Seoul Samsung in a home matchup held at Wonju DB Promia Arena on the 7th in the 2026~2027 KCC Pro Basketball League.

With this win, DB improved to a 7-5 record, laying the groundwork for a climb into the upper echelon of the standings. The victory was all the more valuable given that they defeated Samsung, who currently top the league.

On this day, DB trailed by 8 points, 59-67, through the third quarter. However, they dominated Samsung 25-9 in the final fourth quarter to complete a thrilling comeback victory.

Albano was at the center of the victory. On this day, Albano led the offense with 26 points and 6 assists. Most notably, he scored a whopping 13 points in the fourth quarter alone, fully fulfilling his role as the go-to scorer.

However, there was another player whose performance was no less important than Albano's. That player was Jeong Hyo-geun. On this day, Jeong Hyo-geun played for 11 minutes and 29 seconds, recording 2 points and 6 rebounds. Judging by scoring alone, it was not a standout performance.

Yet his presence in the fourth quarter was exceptional. Jeong Hyo-geun played for 6 minutes and 22 seconds in the final quarter, grabbing 5 rebounds. In particular, 3 of those were offensive rebounds. He became a great strength for DB in turning the game around.

In fact, with 5 minutes and 20 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Jeong Hyo-geun secured a defensive rebound. Then, with 5 minutes and 4 seconds left, he also grabbed an offensive rebound. This led to a 2-point shot by Raison Hammonds, allowing DB to close the gap to 70-71.

Jeong Hyo-geun's performance continued. In the ensuing sequence, he secured another defensive rebound to shut down the opponent's attack. Subsequently, Albano hit a go-ahead 3-point shot, flipping the score in DB's favor at 73-71.

It did not end there. Jeong Hyo-geun grabbed consecutive offensive rebounds with 2 minutes and 37 seconds and 2 minutes and 24 seconds remaining. Albano then made a 2-point shot, extending DB's lead to 77-74. Ultimately, DB held onto the lead until the final buzzer to secure a home comeback victory.

After the game, Head Coach Lee Gyu-seop also highly evaluated Jeong Hyo-geun's dedication. The coach praised him, saying, "Albano stepped up in the fourth quarter, but I believe Jeong Hyo-geun's two offensive rebounds were decisively the greatest strength in securing today's victory."

He then explained the situation Jeong Hyo-geun is facing. The coach stated, "Due to the rule allowing two foreign players on the court simultaneously, players at the No. 4 (power forward) position are actually struggling. It is the same for every team," adding, "It is not easy to manage their condition and game flow."

This season, the KBL allows two foreign players to be on the court simultaneously in the second and third quarters. As a result, domestic big men and forwards must adjust their playing time and roles accordingly.

Jeong Hyo-geun is no exception. Last season, Jeong Hyo-geun averaged 25 minutes and 50 seconds of play, recording 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. In contrast, this season, up until before this game, he had played in 6 games, averaging 21 minutes and 30 seconds with 7.3 points and 3.7 rebounds.

His playing time and offensive involvement have decreased somewhat. However, Jeong Hyo-geun quietly fulfilled his role in the opportunities given to him.

The head coach also expressed gratitude for this aspect. The coach emphasized, "Even so, the scene of Jeong Hyo-geun coming in late in the game to grab two offensive rebounds and defend was a truly great strength for me as well as for the team."

He continued, "As I have said many times, the current flow of the KBL is that games are decided in the fourth quarter. I believed that if we went all the way, there would be an opportunity at least once."

In particular, while praising Albano's performance, the coach emphasized that it was possible only because of his teammates' sacrifice.

He said, "Honestly, Albano performed exceptionally well. But the reason he could perform so well was due to Jeong Hyo-geun's offensive rebounds and the sacrifice of other players in defense," adding, "I believe that aspect is more important."

Albano shared the same view. He conveyed his thoughts, saying, "It was not a clean win, but we defeated Samsung, who are the most competitive team in the league. So I am satisfied."

He then credited his teammates for the comeback victory. Albano praised them, stating, "Jeong Hyo-geun came out in the second half and really did well," adding, "Kim Bo-bae did well in the first half."

He continued, "The roles of other players were important," emphasizing, "I believe it is important that all domestic players are ready to take the court."

Ultimately, DB's comeback victory was possible because Albano's explosive scoring ability was combined with his teammates' dedication.

In particular, Jeong Hyo-geun showed how much strength he could bring to the team even without scoring. Even in a situation where the roles of domestic forwards have changed due to the simultaneous on-court presence of two foreign players, he proved his value at crucial moments. It was the reason why both the head coach and the ace applauded him in unison, despite his score being limited to just 2 points.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original