TG Yang Kyung-min Makes Outstanding 3-Pointers

Yang Kyung-min, 31, a small forward for TG Sambo, is far from attractive plays. He takes on all the tough jobs, just as he wants to be called a defensive-minded player. Coach Jeon Chang-jin, however, speaks highly of Yang as a hidden treasure.

After all, Yang performed a splendid 3-pointer show to lead the victory of Sambo against Jeonju KCC with the score of 81-66 on December 28. He exploded with 32 points--almost tripling his average of 10.9 points--by eight successful 3-pointers, the most for the season. The 3-pointer goal percentage for the season was as high as 73 percent. Yang, 1m 93cm tall, only attempted shots he was comfortable with and scored only 12 points during the first quarter taking on Cho Seong-won--who is shorter than Yang by 13 cm.

Yang, who received complaints from Lee Sang-min of KCC “You got it whenever you shoot?” After the game, Yang interviewed modestly, “I bent my knee more and lowered my body to hit better. But I always put more value on defense than making baskets.”

With six consecutive wins, TG kept its leading position firmly with 22 wins and six losses on that day with half of the regular season schedule completed and the fourth round started. The tied-second group consisted of KCC and Orions with 18 wins and 10 losses, following TG by four game’s differences, lending itself to TG’s overwhelming lead.

After driving easily by finishing the first and second quarters with scores of 24-15 and 47-30 respectively, TG pushed harder in the second half to confirm the victory early at four minutes and 23 seconds to the end of third quarter with the score of 60-35.

Meanwhile, KCC earned the least points for the season with extremely poor shooting from both inside and outside to be defeated in two consecutive games.

Electro Land edged out Orions with the score of 90-84 thanks to 35 points from Albert White.

Mobis, taken over by acting coach Jang Il after the resignation of coach Choi Hee-am, beat SBS with 89-72 to make SBS suffer from forfeited game losses five times straight and continue its rising mood with three wins and one loss among its last four games.

Won-Hong Lee Jong-Seok Kim bluesky@donga.com kjs0123@donga.com