Translation result.
[Sports Seoul | Changwon=Reporter Kim Dong-young] Goyang Sono pulled off a dramatic come-from-behind win over defending champion Changwon LG to take Game 1. Trailing for most of the night, Sono flipped the script in the fourth quarter — but coach Son Chang-hwan, 50, is keeping a cautious outlook because of injuries sustained in the contest.
Sono rallied at Changwon Gymnasium on April 23 in the 2025–2026 LG Electronics KBL semifinals, overcoming a deficit to beat LG 69-63 in the series opener.
Winning Game 1 matters: historically, semifinal winners who take the opener advance to the finals 78.6% of the time. Sono nearly let that edge slip as LG looked in control for much of the night before the fourth-quarter reversal.
Lee Jae-do led the attack with 17 points and 4 rebounds. Nathan Knight posted a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double, while Lee Jung-hyun contributed 13 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists.
The win came at a cost. Kevin Kembao suffered a knee injury during a gritty effort and will need further evaluation. Choi Seung-wook also left the arena and was taken to the emergency room. It was a hard-fought victory with real consequences.
After the game, Son said, “In the first half, LG’s defensive plan overwhelmed us. We weren’t ourselves and couldn’t execute. Even shots that missed seemed to bounce their way. At halftime I told the team the momentum would turn to our side — and it did.”
He added, “I’m proud of the players who attacked and matched their intensity. Fans made the trip from Goyang and we didn’t let the crowd affect us. This was a valuable win.”
Son also singled out Lee Jae-do: “LG has physical guards, but I expected Lee to get enough time to make an impact. I told him to shoot with confidence, and he did. I’m happy and proud of him.”
On LG’s shooting struggles, Son noted, “It wasn’t that we shut them down so much as their shots weren’t falling. They had a number of uncontested looks — it didn’t feel like we completely neutralized them. We have to manage that better in Game 2 and get ready.”
The coach was blunt about the injury situation. “We need to recheck Kembao. Choi Seung-wook is experiencing pain in his abdomen or ribs and probably needs ER care. Lim Dong-seop is also dealing with a bad back. There’s a lot of concern,” Son said.
“We’ll need medical evaluations beyond the training staff’s checks. Choi kept getting hit and developed an issue; we have to pinpoint exactly where and review the test results,” he added.
Son stressed the importance of getting veteran Lee Jung-hyun back to full form. “We expected them to guard Lee aggressively, but they were even tougher than anticipated. It reminded me why they’re the top team. We’ll study film and adjust.” raining99@sportsseoul.comn
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