In the 2022-23 professional basketball quarterfinal playoffs (PO), which seemed to end blandly, the’counterattack’ of Goyang Carrot began.
Even in the first game, it seemed that the limit was hit. On the 13th, Carrot suffered a ‘disastrous defeat’ by a whopping 56 points, 43-99, in the first leg of the semifinal PO against Anyang KGC held at the Anyang Indoor Gymnasium. The 43 point difference was the lowest PO score ever, and the 56 point difference was the highest point difference ever in professional basketball, including PO and regular league.
The physical strain was great. In the PO of the 6th round, Ulsan Hyundai Mobis played a close match until the 5th game. On the other hand, KGC, which ranked first in the regular league, took a good rest and went to the PO of the quarterfinals. Adding to the wide gap in the first game, some predicted that the PO in the semifinals would end in three games.
It was not only the humiliating score that was disappointing. On this day, coach Kim Seung-gi gave up the game early as the score gap widened. Lee Jung-hyun (16:43) and Didric Lawson (20:25) were excluded. Carrot players threw as many as 50 three-pointers. Criticism came out that he did not respect the fans. Director Kim bowed his head to the fans, saying that it was a realistically inevitable choice.
The second match was held at the same place two days later. Carrot has changed so much that I wonder if it is the team that suffered a crushing defeat by 56 points. It seemed like the nightmare of the first game was repeating as it was pushed 2-11 at the beginning of the first quarter, but it was persistent. It was different from the first game, which collapsed early.
In the 3rd quarter, when the game was back and forth, Lee Jung-hyun flew up. Starting with two successful free throws in a 56-57 situation, he scored 10 points, including two new steals in the 4th minute. The gap quickly widened to 15 points. Carrot won 89-75 without losing concentration in the fourth quarter. It wasn’t as good as the first game, but he took revenge with a complete victory by 14 points. Lee Jung-hyun led the counterattack by scoring 32 points that day.
Director Kim Seung-gi also let out a sigh of relief. In a broadcast interview, he said, “In the first game, I was so physically sorry that I felt sorry for the fans. I gave up quickly, so I rested well. After the loss, I didn’t say anything to the players. Instead, they gave me a pleasant daytime drink each,” he said. “We just didn’t die. I will try one of the great games in Goyang,” he smiled.
Of course,안전놀이터 KGC is not a team to back down easily. It is regrettable that they could not continue the momentum of the big win in the first game, but the strength of being in first place in the regular league and the physical advantage are still strengths. Carrot’s strategy, which was pushed to the extreme, was also confirmed, and Oh Se-geun (19 minutes 38 seconds) was also spared in the second game. From the 3rd round, it will be an all-out war.
After the first game, KGC and Carrot’s chances of advancing to the championship match, which were 78% and 22%, respectively, became tied at 50% according to the results of the second game. Carrot’s counterattack became the starting point, PO in the quarterfinals. The 3rd game between the two teams will be held on the 17th at 7pm at the Goyang Indoor Gymnasium.