 |
| Migs Oczon, Shawn Long, and the rest of the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus won again right before the New Year. KBL (file photo) |
MANILA--Ulsan rang the new year with a bang as the team edged Daegu, 88-81, in the KBL's annual New Year's Countdown match at the Dongcheon Gymnasium in Ulsan.
Playing in the league's final game of the calendar year for the second straight time, the Phoebus repeated over the Pegasus in their tradition at home, although they had to withstand a brilliant performance from SJ Belangel.
Playing through a left knee injury, Belangel played like he was 100 percent healthy and put up 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting including a fastbreak layup with 2:11 left that kept Daegu in the game.
The team thought they had a chance to take the lead as a player just flicked the ball up while he was fouled by Ham Ji-Hoon and went in, but the referee ruled that the foul came before the awkward layup attempt and the shot was nullified.
The Pegasus failed to convert in the next play, and instead, Park Mu-Bin hit a tough floater off Belangel's outstretched arms to give the Phoebus an 85-81 lead with 1:02 to go.
Kim Nak-Hyeon and Kwak Jung-Hoon missed their three-point attempts in Daegu's next play, and Park hit a split from the free throw line to up Ulsan's lead to five with 28 seconds left.
Andrew Nicholson tried his luck in trimming the lead, but he missed his shot and Gaige Prim put the exclamation point for the Phoebus with a breakaway slam.
The game ended at around 11:55 p.m. Korean time, and a few minutes later, KBL and Ulsan officials rang a giant bell to signal that the clock struck midnight on Jan. 1, 2025 in the South Korean city.
Park had 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, four rebounds, and six assists, while Shawn Long added 16 points, three rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal for Ulsan, which is now virtually tied with Seoul SK for the top spot in the team standings at 17-7.
The Knights (16-6), though, remain first on a better winning percentage.
Migs Oczon, who made his KBL debut right during the Phoebus' New Year's Eve game last year against the Pegasus, had eight points, three rebounds, and one assist off the bench.
Belangel also had one rebound, three assists, and two steals for Daegu, which dropped to a three-way tie with Changwon and Suwon for third place at 13-10.
The Sonicboom will host the Busan KCC Egis, while the Sakers will welcome the Knights in the first two KBL games for 2025 on Wednesday.
Follow him on X: @IvanSaldajeno
.jpg)
