▲ Lee Gwan-hee of the Seoul Samsung Thunders shoots during a 2025–2026 LG Electronics Professional Basketball game against the Daegu Korea Gas Corporation Pegasus at Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 22nd.
The Seoul Samsung Thunders defeated the defending champions Busan KCC to extend their winning streak to six games from the season opening, tying the franchise record for the best start.
In the 2026–2027 KCC Professional Basketball regular season home game held at Jamsil Student Gymnasium in Seoul today (October 21), Samsung beat KCC 97–86.
Having secured six straight wins without a single defeat since the opening, Samsung maintained its sole possession of first place.
After sequentially defeating last season's runner-up Goyang Sono, last season's regular-league champion Changwon LG, and Wonju DB, who were cited as strong championship candidates, Samsung also knocked off last season's champions KCC.
This marks a complete revival for Samsung, which remained at the very bottom of the standings for five consecutive seasons up until last year.
Samsung has matched the franchise record for the most consecutive opening wins—set during the 2003–2004 season—for the first time in 23 years.
Now, if they win their away game against the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus on October 24, they will set a new franchise record for the longest opening winning streak.
Across the entire professional basketball league, the record for the most consecutive wins from the opening is eight.
The eight-game opening winning streaks were achieved by the Wonju Dongbu (now DB) in the 2011–2012 season and the Goyang Orion in the 2014–2015 season.
KCC, holding a record of two wins and four losses, dropped to the bottom of the league.
Powered by the sharp perimeter shots of Lee Gwan-hee and Lee Kyu-tae, Samsung finished the first quarter leading 30–21.
Lee Gwan-hee scored three out of four three-point attempts, while Lee Kyu-tae successfully swished both of his two three-point tries.
In the second and third quarters, when two foreign players were allowed on the court simultaneously, KCC tightened the chase.
Louis King's scoring prowess, shining both inside and outside the paint, stood out.
King accounted for 18 points during the second and third quarters.
Although the gap narrowed to just one point at one point in the third quarter, Samsung rarely allowed a lead change.
Holding KCC to just four points over the final seven minutes of the third quarter and capitalizing on consecutive scores by Kerem Kanter and others, Samsung entered the fourth quarter with a 75–62 lead, widening the gap to 13 points.
Maintaining their strong momentum with 4 minutes and 55 seconds left in the game, Samsung thrilled home fans when Justin Gutang finished off a crisp alley-oop dunk following an assist by Han Ho-bin.
With about 1 minute and 30 seconds remaining, Gutang capped off an attack initiated by his own steal with a one-handed dunk, pushing the lead back to 13 points and firmly tilting the scales of victory in Samsung's favor.
Kanter led the team to victory with a game-high 30 points, while Lee Gwan-hee contributed 17 points including three three-pointers, and Lee Kyu-tae added 15 points including three three-pointers.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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