Oh! Happy Day for Williams
Only 3.1 seconds remained with KCC leading Electro Land by a score of 82-81. Electro Lands Williams received a pass from White and threw up a shot over the thick defensive walls of KCC. The ball bounced once on the rim, went 1m up above the rim, and fell in to score a basket. They won, reversing the score and finished one point ahead. 5,000 home fans burst out at the scene.
KCCs Choo Seung-kyun tried a long-range shot at the half court line for a final chance to win but only hit the backboard. Electro Lands Coach Yoo Jae-hak and players from the bench rushed onto the court as if they won a championship and a victory salute was fired.
Electro Land defeated KCC thanks to Williams dramatic shot with a score of 83-82 at Bucheon on January 11. It was the seventh straight win without any losses after the fourth round. Especially, Electro Land won six consecutive games at home, with a record of 15 wins and three losses at home this season. Electro Land, keeping the sole third place position with 21 wins and 13 losses, chased KCC by a one game difference.
Coach Yoo Jae-hak smiled brightly, saying, I ordered them to be focused on defense because of the poor condition of White, and they did a good job, concentrating to the end. My tactics worked as a last chance effort as I told them at a time out.
Electro Land has suffered from the poor condition of White who is leading the team in scoring, on the day when it was filled with a crowd of 5,119 for the first time this season. White couldnt even breathe as he caught the flu after going with his colleague players to a sauna during the Busan tour last weekend.
White was scoreless in the first quarter but made nine points in the crucial fourth quarter, having the strong mental power to take an active role with 23 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Rambo Shooter Moon Kyoung-eun made 29 points and Williams recorded 14 points and nine rebounds.
Orions topped Samsung with the score of 80-59 surrounded by 8800 spectators, the most people of this season at Chamsil. The 59 points of Samsung is its lowest score this season. (61 points was the previous record)
Last place SK beat leader TG Sambo with 88-85 in Wonju. TG has lost two straight games.
Won-Hong Lee Jong-Seok Kim bluesky@donga.com kjs0123@donga.com
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