Professional basketball team Wonju DB has been on a roll since the start of the season.
DB won 90-79 away from home against the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis at Dongcheon Gymnasium in Ulsan on Friday.
The game was expected to be an easy victory as Hyundai Mobis led 50-31 in the second quarter, but DB fought back in the second half to win by 11 points.
DB is coached by Kim Joo-sung, who was a fixture in Korean basketball during his playing days, ahead of the 2023-2024 season.
Heading into the season, the team was rated as a mid-tier power, but the general consensus was that they wouldn’t be able to threaten the “two-state system” of Jeonju KCC or Seoul SK.
However, DB has been on a six-game winning streak since the start of the season and is now 2.5 games clear of second-place KCC.
The five-game series isn’t the first time DB has overcome a large deficit.
Against KCC on Oct. 28, they overcame a 31-49, 18-point deficit to finish with a 101-90 win.
The longest winning streak after the start of a professional basketball season is eight, achieved by DB’s predecessor Dongbu in 2011-2012 and Goyang Sono’s predecessor Goyang Orion in 2014-2015.
If DB continues its winning streak this week against Seoul Samsung on Nov. 7 and Anyang Jeongguanjang on Nov. 10, it will be able to achieve the record for the longest winning streak after opening day.
Dedrick Lawson has been the main reason for DB’s early success.
Lawson’s all-around performance, averaging 30.3 points (2nd), 9.7 rebounds (5th), and 4.8 assists (6th), has quickly made him the best foreign player this season.
Last season, he averaged 18.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while playing for Sono’s predecessor Carot.
In addition, the likes of captain Kang Sang-jae and national team member Kim Jong-kyu have added height and speed to the power of the former DB Acid.
SPOTV commentator Lee Sang-yoon said, “The performances of Lawson, Kim Jong-kyu, and Kang Sang-jae are of course good, but coach Kim Joo-sung has created a team atmosphere where senior players such as Park Chan-hee also fly when they come out on the court.” “The sixth men such as Shin Min-soo, Choi Seung-wook, and Kim Young-hyun also raise the team atmosphere by doing dirty work.”
DB, in particular, has an additional strength factor in that its main guard, Doo Kyung-min, has yet to play in the regular season due to knee pain.
The upcoming schedule is also favorable. They will play six home games in a row, starting with a game against Samsung on the 7th and ending with Samsung Electronics on the 18th.
“We need to manage the physical fitness of Lawson and Lee Sun Albano, who tend to play a lot of minutes,” said Lee Sang-yoon, advising that the team should utilize newly acquired Jeff Widdie or Doo Kyung-min, who will return from injury, to solve the long-term race. 파워볼사이트