Defending KCC Suffers 6th Straight Loss, SK Extends Winning Streak to Four

Defending professional basketball champion Busan KCC has fallen to the bottom of the league alone after suffering its sixth consecutive defeat following a loss to Seoul SK.

KCC lost 96–87 to SK in an away match of the 2026-2027 KCC Professional Basketball regular season held at Jamsil Student Gymnasium in Seoul.

As a result, last season's champion KCC plunged into a six-game losing slump, dropping to 2 wins and 7 losses and anchoring the bottom of the league.

SK, which started its regular season later than other teams due to its schedule for the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia), extended its winning streak to four games, firmly holding second place with 4 wins and 1 loss.

The first half unfolded with KCC taking the lead and SK closely chasing.

Late in the first quarter, SK rallied by scoring 8 points, including consecutive perimeter shots by Ahn Young-jun and Kim Hyeong-bin, to trail 28–26. However, SK conceded 11 unanswered points to KCC after committing a flurry of turnovers in the early second quarter.

Nevertheless, sparked by Isaiah Hicks finding his scoring touch late in the second quarter, SK narrowed the gap to 50–48 to end the first half.

The momentum of the game shifted drastically in the third quarter.

While KCC self-destructed by committing 6 turnovers in the third quarter alone, SK steadily capitalized on them to turn the game around.

In particular, Jameel Warney, who had been quiet with just 2 points in the first half, came alive and heavily bombarded the paint.

Propelled by Warney, SK scored 12 consecutive points over about two minutes in the middle of the third quarter, and pulled away to a 12-point lead at 71–59 with 1 minute and 27 seconds left in the quarter, seizing control of the match.

However, KCC, which appeared to be collapsing, tightened the reins on its chase in the final fourth quarter after entering it trailing heavily by 15 points at 76–61.

KCC quickly pulled within 4 points at 75–71 by rapidly scoring 10 unanswered points over about two minutes in the early fourth quarter, combining perimeter shots by Yoon Gi-chan and Heo Ung.

When SK tried to pull away again utilizing its signature fast breaks, KCC stubbornly kept pace with a basket by Jang Jae-seok off an assist from Heo Hoon followed by another perimeter shot from Heo Ung.

However, with 1 minute and 1 second remaining in the game, SK's Kim Hyeong-bin sank his 4th three-pointer of the night, followed by a layup from Kim Nak-hyeon, widening the score to 11 points at 96–85 and securing the victory for SK.

For SK, Ahn Young-jun and Hicks tied for a team-high 18 points each, while a total of five players scored in double digits—including Oh Jae-hyun (15 points), Warney (14 points), and Kim Hyeong-bin (12 points)—displaying a well-rounded performance.

For KCC, Jang Jae-seok fought valiantly with 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, and Heo Ung added 5 three-pointers for 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, but their efforts were overshadowed by the team's defeat.

(Photo provided by KBL, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.