The “one-two punch” of Kim Nak-hyun (29) and Andrew Nicholson (35) led Daegu KOGAS to its first three-game winning streak of the season.
Daegu KOGAS defeated Seoul Samseong 77-71 in a home game of the 2023-2024 Jungkwanjang Professional Basketball League on Monday at Daegu Gymnasium.
With the win, KOGAS has now won all three of its games this year. They also moved to 10 wins and 20 losses on the season, tied for eighth place with Goyang Sono. Samsung, on the other hand, will have to wait until another time for their first win of 2024, and remain in the bottom 10 with a 5-25 record.
Both teams played a close game. KOGAS took a 16-14 lead in the first quarter behind the play of Nicholson and Chabawi. But Samsung fought back, led by Ishmael Lane, and didn’t back down.
KOGAS went into the half with a two-point lead, 38-36. They were outrebounded by Samsung, but had the advantage on the perimeter and in the free throw battle. Nicholson scored 13 points in the first half, matching Lane (14) in a scoring duel.
The game flipped in the second half. Samsung went on a 7-0 run midway through the quarter to take the lead. Kim Si-rae, Lane, and Kim Dong-hyuk scored evenly to put pressure on KOGAS. Combined with mistakes, KOGAS entered the final quarter trailing 54-58.
However, it was KOGAS that came out on top. In overtime, the one-two punch of Nicholson and Kim Nak-hyun changed the game. With just over five minutes left in regulation, KOGAS pulled within 67-66 on a pair of free throws by Kim Nak-hyun.
Samsung didn’t go down without a fight, as Yoon Sung-won responded with a basket after a breakaway. But when it mattered most, they couldn’t stop Kim Nak-hyun. He drained a three-pointer with three minutes left in the game and assisted Nicholson on a three-point play to make it 73-68. In the end, the hard-fought game ended in favor of KOGAS.
KOGAS was led by Nicholson’s 31 points and eight rebounds, and Kim Nak-hyun’s 25 points, five assists, and three rebounds. Chabawi also chipped in with eight points and eight rebounds. Samsung was led by Lane’s double-double of 24 points and 13 rebounds, but it was a bit lackluster from behind the arc.
At Wonju General Gymnasium, Wonju DB continued their winning streak with a 94-86 victory over Suwon KT. DB consolidated sole possession of first place with a 25-6 record on the season. They have three games in hand on second-place Seoul SK (21-8). Conversely, losing streaking KT moved into a tie for third place with Changwon LG with 19 wins and 11 losses.
DB Park In-woong was the surprise star of the game. He hit three 3-pointers in the second quarter alone, and set a new career-high with 25 points in 35 minutes and 55 seconds. Kim Jong-kyu and Lawson added 15 points and eight rebounds, respectively.
KT was led by Ha Yoon-ki, who recorded a double-double (17 points and 12 rebounds) in the first half alone, totaling 28 points and 16 rebounds. Paris Bass also had a monster game with 30 points, 18 rebounds, and nine assists, but it wasn’t enough to win.
Their inability to keep up with their opponents proved fatal, as they gave up a steal per possession. KT rallied in the final minutes of the game, but back-to-back turnovers with 1:36 left in regulation left them down 92-84.