[Pro Basketball] This Season Buzzing with Last-Second Wins

The Busan KTF Magic Wings and the Changwon LG Sakers were tied at 78 on Nov. 17 last year in Busan. With only 3.9 seconds remaining, LG center Calvin Warner thundered toward the basket and slammed it home with just one second left.

The TV sportscaster covering the game declared the game over and no one doubted it.

KTF, however, was not through yet. Coach Choo Il-seung called a timeout after Warner’s basket. Then Magic Wing Karl Mitchell then hit a three-pointer at the buzzer, giving his team a thrilling 81-80 victory.

Last-second victories are creating a lot of buzz this season in the Korean Basketball League.

The buzzer beater is basketball’s version of the golden goal in soccer and the game-winning homerun in baseball. The fans of the winning team explode into euphoria, while the losing squad falls into the abyss of severe disappointment.

Choi Hee-am, coach of the Incheon E-Land Black Slammer, said, “I feel the bottom of my heart collapse from time to time.” The team is marching toward the playoffs for the first time in four years, and every single game matters.

Choi said, “Buzzer beaters are not all about happiness. Considering how much we prepare, we don’t want to get into those situations and instead favor a decisive victory.”

E-Land forward Lee Han-gwon has hit two game-winning buzzer beaters this season. His first came Dec. 5 last year against KTF and his second arrived Feb. 2 against the Jeonju KCC Egis. For the first time in his six-year pro career, Lee will start in the league all-star game.

Lee smiled while saying about his game winners, “[They were] in the nick of time. I just threw it up.”

Switching from E-Land to the Daegu Orions this season, foreign import Carmelo Lee hit a three-pointer at the buzzer Jan. 2 to sink the Anyang KT&G Kites by a point.

Likewise, KCC center Seo Jang-hoon last weekend hit a last-second shot at home to beat the Seoul Samsung Thunders, wowing the home KCC crowd of 10,000.

Buzzer beaters are not simply dependent on luck; rather, teams devise last-second plays in practice constantly.

kjs0123@donga.com