Wonju DB took the lead over Ulsan Hyundai Mobis, who were hit with back-to-back bad luck when Park Mubin left the court with an injury and Gage Prim was ejected.
DB defeated the Hyundai Mobis 91-82 in an away game of the 2023-2024 regular season at Ulsan Dongcheon Gymnasium on February 2.
DB, which improved to 29 wins and 9 losses, extended its lead over second-place Changwon LG (24 wins and 13 losses) to four and a half games, further boosting its chances of winning the regular season title. Meanwhile, sixth-ranked 스포츠토토 Hyundai Mobis (19-18) saw its three-game winning streak snapped.
Hyundai Mobis suffered a setback when rookie Park Mubin, who had been energizing the offense with his daring breakthroughs, left the court with back pain with just over three minutes left in the second quarter. Nevertheless, the team regrouped around Miguel Andre Okjohn and managed to keep the game even with DB, tying the score at one point midway through the third quarter.
However, with the score at 54-55 and just over four minutes left in the third quarter, Prim was called for a technical foul for protesting the referee, and a minute later, he was called for another technical foul for protesting. After Prim left the court in a furious mood, Hyundai Mobis quickly fell apart.
After falling into a double-digit deficit with 15 points in about three minutes until the end of the third quarter, Hyundai Mobis was unable to overcome the gap in the fourth quarter and lost the game.
For DB, foreign player Dedrick Lawson spearheaded the victory with a blistering 30-point, 15-rebound performance. Center Kim Jong-kyu did his part with 22 points and five rebounds, while Kang Sang-jae and Lee Sun Albano added 13 and 11 points, respectively.
For Hyundai Mobis, Kebe Aluma led the way with 25 points and 17 rebounds.
Busan KCC defeated Anyang Jungkwanjang 81-75 at home. Riding a three-game winning streak, fifth-ranked KCC (20-15) moved to within two-and-a-half games of third-place Suwon KT-Seoul SK (23-13), raising hopes for a serious run at the top at the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Chung Kwan-jang, who lost his third straight game, slipped to eighth place alongside Goyang Sono (13 points, 24 games).
For KCC, Ragan-ah, who consistently attacked two-on-two with Heo Woong and Calvin Jeffrey Epistola, was the team’s top scorer with 23 points.
With key forward Choi Jun-yong leaving in the second quarter due to injury, Song Kyo-chang and Lee Seung-hyun played the third and fourth quarters without rest to minimize the height gap.
Outside shooter Heo Woong was held to just four points in the game, but he kept his teammates alive with nine assists.
For Jungkwanjang, Choi Sung-won scored 26 points, including four three-pointers, but it wasn’t enough to overcome KCC.