The Seoul SK Knights recorded their first win in the East Asian Super League (EASL), a professional basketball club competition in East Asia, with a convincing victory over the Ryukyu Golden Kings after losing in the first round.
SK, led by head coach Jeon Hee-chul, defeated the Ryukyu Golden Kings 82-69 in the second game of Group B of the 2023-2024 East Asia Super League (EASL) on Sunday at the Sono Arena in Goyang, South Korea. SK avenged a 79-80 loss to Ryukyu in Game 1 at Okinawa Arena in Japan on March 18 with a big win.
SK was without Jamil Warney, who scored 39 points in Game 1, due to thigh muscle discomfort, but Leon Williams led the offense with a double-double of 23 points and 17 rebounds. Kim Sun-hyung chipped in with 12 points and eight assists. Heo Il-young and Oh Se-geun also chipped in with 12 points apiece. For Ryukyu, Keita Imamura led the way with 15 points, Alan Durham finished with 14 points, and Shota Onodera added 12 points.
SK led 24-17 after the first quarter. Ryukyu took the lead early in the first quarter with back-to-back three-pointers, but SK tied the game at 10-10 with baskets from Heo Il-young, Kim Sun-hyung, and Oh Se-geun. A seesaw game ensued, and at 17-17, Song Chang-yong’s outside shot and baskets by Leon Williams and Choi Won-hyuk put Ryukyu ahead to end the first quarter.
SK, led by Leon Williams and Song Chang-young, took a 10-point lead, 27-17, at the start of the second quarter. SK maintained control of the game and briefly allowed Ryukyu to pull away, but a floater from Kim Sun-hyung and a free throw from Oh Se-geun ended the half.
In the third quarter, Ryukyu hit from beyond the arc to pull within 42-44 and put pressure on SK. However, SK responded with a three-pointer from Kim Sun-hyung to regain the lead. A tip-in by Choi Woo-hyuk at 58-48 and a three-pointer by Leon Williams further widened the gap, making it 68-53 heading into the fourth quarter.
Ryukyu’s final offensive push was fierce, but SK was able to protect its lead and secure the win. At 78-56, Ryukyu went on a 10-point run with a three-pointer from Onodera Shota and baskets from Carl Tamayo, Alan Durham and Keita Imamura. However, a three-pointer by Song Chang-yong stopped the run and SK held on for the win.
The 2023-2024 East Asian Super League (EASL) season, which kicked off last month on February 11, will feature home-and-home group play until February 7 next year, with games being played every Wednesday. The ‘Final Four’, where the top two 토토사이트 teams from each group will advance, will take place on March 8-10 next year. The winner will take home US$1 million, the runner-up US$500,000, and the third-place team US$250,000.
Group A includes KBL champion Anyang Jeongguanjang Red Boosters, Japan B League runner-up Chiba Jets, Philippines PBA Governors’ Cup winner TNT Tropang Giga, and Taiwan P.League+ winner Fubon Brace. In Group B, KBL runner-up Seoul SK Knights, B-League champion Ryukyu Golden Kings, P.League+ runner-up New Taipei Kings, and the PBA’s Meralco Bolts will replace former Barangay Hinebra San Miguel.