LAPU-LAPU CITY – Seoul SK earned a sweet payback by dashing the title hopes of Anyang Jung Kwan Jang, 94-79, to book the first ticket to the East Asia Super League (EASL) Final, Friday evening at the Hoops Dome here.
The Knights turned things around in the second quarter before finishing strongly in the final frame on the way to ousting the team that beat them in the EASL Champions 2023 Final in Okinawa, Japan by way of a 90-84 decision.
“We had a little bit of trouble with the slow tempo of basketball Anyang was playing. But once the second half started, we played our tempo, which led us to the win,” said head coach Chun Hee-chul through a translator.
Jameel Warney powered Seoul SK with a monster outing of 36 points, 15 of which he made in the first half, alongside 16 rebounds and six assists.
Oh Jae-hyun had 20 points on five triples, together with four rebounds and four assists. An Young-jun made 13 points, while Leon Williams added 11 points and 12 rebounds as the four starters joined hands in that second-quarter reversal.
The crew found themselves trailing by two, 33-31, following Rhenz Abando’s free throws with 6:19 on the clock until Williams and Warney led a 14-5 retaliation to take the 45-38 lead approaching the chapter’s final minute.
The Knights would remain in control the rest of the way, with their lead ballooning to as big as 17 points twice in the closing minutes.
“We know this team for playing a million times over the last few years. They shoot three-pointers a lot so we tried our best to play defense. We played our style, and had a lot of fastbreaks. Now it’s on to Sunday,” said Warney.
Seoul SK will await for the winner between the undefeated Chiba and New Taipei in the other semis bracket for its foes in the title bout on Sunday at 7 p.m.
Anyang’s defeat, on the other hand, not only crushed its championship aspirations but spoiled as well the homecoming of sorts of Abando.
In his first game in the country as part of the Red Boosters, the former Gilas Pilipinas stalwart finished with 11 points, three rebounds, and a block.
Robert Carter top-scored for Anyang with 21 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Jamil Wilson made 14 points, four rebounds, and six assists as well.
Choi Seong-won had 11 points while Jeong Hyeo-geun chipped in 10 markers for the Red Boosters, which will face the losing side between the Kings and the Jets for the third-place game on Sunday as well. Game time is at 4 p.m.
The Scores:
Seoul SK 94 – Warney 38, Oh 20, An 13, Williams 9, Choi 5, Kim 3, Yaung 2, Song 2, Choi 2, Lee 0, Heo 0.
Anyang JKJ 79 – Carter 21, Wilson 14, Abando 11, Choi 11, Jeong 10, Park 8, Kim 2, Lee 2, Lee 0, Jung 0, Ko 0.
Quarterscores: 23-26, 45-40, 67-58, 94-79.
