Sono’s Historic Run to the Championship
Sono, a professional basketball team that has been making waves in the league, is currently riding a wave of success as it heads into the championship round. This marks a significant milestone for the team, which recently achieved its first playoff appearance in three years since its founding. Their journey has been nothing short of remarkable, with a historic advancement to the finals.
A Dominant Performance in the Semifinals
Led by Head Coach Son Chang-hwan, Sono delivered an impressive performance in the semifinals, defeating LG 90-80 in the third home game on the 27th. This victory sealed their place in the finals after a clean sweep of the best-of-five series with three wins and no losses.
Several players contributed significantly to this win, with six players scoring in double digits. Lee Jung-hyun and Kevin Kempbao both scored 17 points, while Kempbao also added 6 rebounds and 7 assists. In the earlier games, Sono showed resilience, coming from behind in the second half after trailing in the first half. The third game was particularly dominant, with Sono hitting 10 three-pointers in the first half alone, leading to a 51-40 advantage. Second-year player Lee Keun-jun contributed 12 points, including four successful three-pointers.
Facing the Winners of the Other Semifinal
Sono will now face the winner of the other semifinal series between Anyang Jung Kwan Jang and Busan KCC, who are tied 1-1. This upcoming match promises to be a thrilling contest, given the high stakes involved.
A Remarkable Upward Trend
Since the start of the “spring basketball” playoffs, Sono has shown a terrifying upward trend, winning six consecutive games without a loss. Their regular season ended with a fifth-place finish, but they have been unstoppable in the playoffs. In the previous quarterfinals, they swept Seoul SK, which was ranked fourth in the regular season, with three consecutive wins. Then, in the semifinals, they defeated LG, the reigning champions and this season’s regular season leaders, with a 3-0 sweep.
This achievement makes Sono the second team in history to reach the championship round as a fifth-place finisher in the regular season. The most notable upset occurred in the 2023-2024 season when Busan KCC, also finishing fifth in the regular season, advanced through the quarterfinals and semifinals with a 6-1 record and reached the top of the championship round.
Reactions from the Coaches
After the game, Sono’s Head Coach Son Chang-hwan expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance. He said, “I was worried that the players were overpacing themselves early on. But they produced such a great result.”
On the other hand, LG, which aimed for a second consecutive championship, fell victim to Sono’s strong performance. In the regular season, their longest losing streak was two games twice, but they suffered a three-game losing streak in the semifinals. In addition, they faced injury setbacks, with starting guard Yang Joon-seok diagnosed with a fatigue fracture in his foot after the second game, causing him to miss the third game. In the third game, Yoo Gi-sang scored 18 points, including six three-pointers, while Aseem Marey recorded 19 points (16 rebounds) but was disqualified with his fifth foul with 3 minutes and 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
LG’s Head Coach Jo Sang-hyun acknowledged the team’s failure to meet expectations. He said, “We failed to meet the fans’ expectations. The responsibility for this result in the playoffs lies with me. We will make painstaking efforts to improve.”
