Seoul Samsung’s “ace” Lee Jung-hyun dominated the Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium, smiling after the game as he said, “I watched a lot of healing videos.
Samsung, led by head coach Eun Hee-seok, won 84-80 against Daegu KOGAS in the 2023-24 regular season at Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium on Nov. 31.
The game was highly anticipated for the matchup between the two teams’ top foreign players, Kofi Coburn and Andrew Nicholson. Samsung’s Coburn is a “traditional center,” while KOGAS’ Nicholson is a long-range forward.
In the early stages of the game, the polarizing styles of play were evident. While Coburn dominated under the basket, Nicholson threatened Samsung with a series of mid-range shots.
In a back-and-forth affair, it was KOGAS that gained the momentum first. Samsung’s turnovers piled up and allowed them to catch up. However, at the crunch time, an ace appeared. Lee Jung-hyun poured in 25 points in the second and third quarters alone and never let the game get out of hand. He made up for his slow start to the season with 19, 7, and 5 points in the first three games.
In the end, Samsung pulled away in the fourth quarter with evenly matched performances from its Korean players. Lee shined brightest on the court with 32 points, including six three-pointers, and six assists in 27 minutes. Coburn added 26 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks.
Speaking to the media after the game, Lee said, “Everyone had a good game. In fact, the last game was too bad. We will reduce the ups and downs even more.”
Lee’s performance was notable because he was playing with a back injury. “I have pain, but I’m not ready to stop playing. I’m getting older…” he laughed before adding, “I’m being taken care of. In the last three games, I’ve been a little too out there. The coach put a lot of pressure and faith on me to play today. I was proactive and it led to a good result.”
Coach Eun Hee-seok said he was “impressed” by Lee’s performance. The acting head coach of KOGAS, Kang Hyuk Kang, was also tongue-in-cheek, saying, “We lost because we couldn’t harass him.”
Finally, Lee Jung-hyun commented on his penalty shootout performance, “I think it’s always up to me to 토토사이트 solve the problem. The young players still need to grow up. Today, Choi Seung-wook, Shin Dong-hyuk, and Lee Dong-yup all made good moves.”
Meanwhile, Lee Jung-hyun revealed an unusual mental management trick. “Actually, when I reviewed the last three games, I thought, ‘Did I ask too much of the young players,'” he laughed, “I reflected on myself first. I watched a lot of healing videos,” he confessed. “I felt more relaxed,” he said, drawing laughter from the press.