SK stopped 13 consecutive wins, Ra Gun-ah rose, and KCC, the 'Super Team'

2023-2024 Professional basketball team under the leadership of Chung Kwan-jang finished its regular season schedule in the first half of the regular season and has entered the All-Star break. So far, the pattern of competition for rankings has been slightly different from what was expected before the season. At the time of the opening media day, there was a team that beat Busan KCC and Seoul SK, which were designated as candidates, and established a solo lead system. It is Wonju DB.

KCC and SK were "slow starters." KCC, which drew attention as a "super team," struggled from the beginning of this season due to various factors including Choi's injury and Lee's slump. SK had to adapt to Oh Se-geun, who was transferred to the team, and had a tight schedule due to his participation in the East Asian Super League EASL. Some variables included Song Kyo-chang and Ahn Young-joon, who have strong positions in the team, joining the team during the season after completing their military service.

Worries about them were luxury after all. SK had won 12 straight games since mid-December last year. It elevated its ranking from fourth to second 22-9 and narrowed the gap with the leading DB 25-6 to three games, heralding a fierce competition for the lead in the second half.

KCC's rebound was also dramatic. As of Dec. 7 last year, KCC had a winning rate of around 40 percent. It had three more losses than wins. Since then, KCC has garnered seven consecutive wins, including top-ranked DB and Changwon LG. Although KCC seemed to falter by losing all three of their next games, they displayed their potential to win all three of their first half games. 메이저 토토사이트

The last victory in the first half was thrilling. KCC beat SK 90-75 in a home game held in Busan on Wednesday. It blocked SK's bid for its 13th consecutive win, ending the first half with 16 wins and 12 losses ranked fifth.

Coach Jeon Chang-jin has come up with a bold rotation of players, which allows each of the four main players to play for more than 34 minutes in a game against SK. The move was made in consideration of the fact that the team will take a break after the game against SK. Song Kyo-chang was sidelined due to injury, but he made the most of the players in charge, and as a result, he maintained steady performance in every quarter.

Forward Choi Joon-yong, who had 15 points, eight rebounds, and six assists on the day, is the center of KCC's offense and defense. Notably, Choi is strong in transitions, which further shines the team's color. Choi actively played along with Heo Woong and Lee Ho-hyun, while KCC overwhelmed SK, which ranks first in the league's fastball category, with 19 points and four points in the fastball scoring category. In SK, Kim Sun-hyung was absent due to an injury.

Ra Gun-ah, who played full time in the 40th minute, also displayed stellar performance. Ra Gun-ah had 29 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists.

Ra Gun-ah's revival was an important inflection point for KCC this season. Ra Gun-ah had an average of 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds 15 minutes per game through the second round, but she regained her old reputation by scoring an average of 17.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 63.7 percent of field throws 23 minutes per game in 13 games since then.

It was a special day for Ra Gun-ah. She increased her overall score in the KBL to 10,901 points, surpassing Aaron Haynes 18,878 points to become the top scorer in foreign players.

SK was the best team in the league at the end of the first half, and KCC caught such a team, signaling a leap forward as a "super team" in the second half. The final game before the All-Star break seemed to be previewing the structure of competition among high ranking players in the second half, which would become more complicated.