Suwon KT, a professional basketball team led by Paris Bath with 36 points, reversed the 12-point gap and brought the championship game (best of seven games) back to square one.

KT defeated Busan KCC 101-97 in the second round of the 2023-24 Cheonggwan Professional Basketball Championship Game held at KT Arena in Suwon on the 29th.

KT, which lost 73-90 in the first game on the 27th, won the second game and became 1 win and 1 loss in the series.

The main force behind KT’s victory was Bath, the top scorer in the regular league. Bath failed to draw a single point in the first half, but scored 36 points in the second half to lead the team to a thrilling come-from-behind victory.

Heo Hoon, who was responsible for scoring early in the game, also contributed to the victory by scoring 22 points, 10 assists, and three steals.

KCC, which was aiming for two consecutive wins in the enemy territory, led 53-44 in the first half, but failed to stop Bath and lost the victory.

Alize DeSean Johnson (29 points) scored the most points (24 points) in a quarter of the championship game, but it faded due to the team’s defeat. Laguna (26 points, 11 rebounds) and Huh Woong (16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists) also scored in double digits, but they lacked the hindsight.

The third leg of the championship match between the two teams will be moved to Sajik Gymnasium in Busan and will be held on May 1 at 7 p.m.

At the beginning of the day, KT took the lead. Heo Hoon led the attack, and Moon Jung-hyun and Moon Sung-gon made three-point shots to take a 19-12 lead.

However, KCC started to counterattack by displaying an organic play centered on Laguna. Right before the end of the quarter, Lee Ho-hyun stole a base and Laguna scored, making the game 20 to 19. Laguna scored 14 points in the first quarter alone.

KCC has been aggressive in the second quarter with Johnson in the lead. Johnson scored a whopping 24 points in the second quarter alone, including four three-point shots.

Whenever KT fought back with Huh Hoon’s outer shot, KCC widened the gap with Johnson accumulating points one by one. Lee Seung-hyun’s score was added, and Choi Jun-yong caught two offensive rebounds to create the atmosphere.

The game seemed to be unfolding with KCC’s unilateral advantage, but the flow changed in the third quarter. KT neutralized KCC’s attack with its solid defense, and Bath, who had no points until the first half, started chasing as his shooting sense revived.

KT, which turned the tide 63-62 with Moon Sung-gon’s three-point shot, succeeded in turning the tables against KCC and went back and forth to lead 70-64 thanks to the base’s performance.

Later, while KCC was reeling from a series of turnovers, KT finished the third quarter with a 79-73 lead, with Bath and Ha Yoon-gi adding points. Bath scored 23 points in the third quarter alone.

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