[Sports Seoul | Changwon=Kim Dong-young] Changwon LG suffered a shocking setback in the semifinals, dropping a game to Goyang Sono they realistically could—and should—have won. The offense went cold, a point coach Jo Sang-hyun, 50, did not shy away from addressing.
LG fell 63-69 to Sono in Game 1 of the 2025–2026 LG Electronics KBL semifinals at Changwon Gymnasium on the 23rd.
It was a match LG had in hand through three quarters. They controlled the game until the fourth, when things inexplicably unraveled. What had been working suddenly stopped, the lead slipped away, and the team never found enough momentum to reclaim it.
The team's perimeter drought proved decisive. They attempted 24 three-pointers and made just two, an 8.3% clip. Shooter Yoo Ki-sang went 0-for-9 from beyond the arc. Opportunities were there, but misses erased their value.
After the game, Jo said, “I’m disappointed. Defensively we were excellent in the first half and held them in the 60s overall. I take responsibility. I think our conditioning collapsed in the second half, and I may have made mistakes with rotations.”
He added, “When energy dipped, our backcourt broke down and we started giving up layups. You can’t expect to win when you score only in the 60s. Our three-point shooting was 8%. I should have managed players’ fitness and feel better. I came up short there. The players competed hard. We can still turn things around. We’ll regroup.”
Jo called the three-point slump “especially regrettable.” “The game became a two-point contest, so a 60-point output was almost inevitable. When Marei kicked the ball out, teammates needed to attack with confidence, but they hesitated. That led to fast breaks for the opponent in the second half. Marei then forced some shots, and that’s how we fell apart down the stretch,” he said.
“Yoo Ki-sang took nine shots and made none. He prepared well. Maybe we should have given him more rest,” Jo said. “We’ll break down the tape and come into Game 2 better prepared.”
Marei showed visible frustration after the loss. He offered a wry smile and said, “I’ve kind of accepted it.” He added, “There’s no use arguing. When the game’s going well, I don’t act like this. There are things I feel were unfair. We used all our coach challenges but they keep asking to review. That clearly disrupts the team. I keep bringing it up.”
On criticism that LG lacks a late-game closer, Jo pushed back: “We have strengths in the post. We need to plan how to handle the ball when it shifts from inside to the perimeter. In the fourth quarter, Marei took some forced shots. Our offense isn’t built around one player—we rely on structure and team play.” raining99@sportsseoul.com
