Pro basketball Wonju DB has confirmed its No. 1 ranking in the regular league.

It has been six years except for the 2019-20 season, which was the seventh time in his career and tied for first place. It was a more meaningful victory because it was a team that did not receive attention as a candidate before the season. 토토사이트 추천

DB, led by head coach Kim Joo-sung, defeated Suwon KT 107-103 in a neck-and-neck race at the 2023-24 professional basketball regular season home game held at Wonju Gymnasium on Wednesday. With the victory, DB recorded 38 wins and 10 losses, confirming its No. 1 ranking in the regular season regardless of the results of the remaining six games. The gap with second-ranked Changwon LG is 7.5 games shorter.

It is the seventh time in his career that DB ranked first in the regular league, including when he was a full-length player. DB previously ranked first in the regular league in 2003-04 season, 2004-05, 2007-08, 2011-12 season, 2017-18 season, and 2019-20 season. The 2019-20 season, however, was a season in which DB and Seoul SK tied for first place as the season ended early due to COVID-19.

It was the top spot in the regular league where it was promoted to the top spot in every round. It is the fourth wire-to-wire win since 2011-12 Eastern, 2018-19 Hyundai Mobis, and 2022-23 KGC.

It was the second fastest tie in history to rank No. 1 in the regular league after 48 games. In the 2011-12 season when he was in the East, he grabbed the top spot in the regular league after 47 games. This season's record is tied for second place with the 2007-08 season (East).

It is a dramatic twist. Actually, no one picked DB as a candidate for the championship just ahead of the opening of this season. The round of 2 strongest teams between Busan KCC and Seoul SK seemed likely. DB, which ranked seventh but failed to participate in the playoffs last season, presented its goal for spring basketball, the first season under Kim Joo-sung.

However, DB took the lead early on, showing strong concentration throughout the season. It was a momentum that shook the game of professional basketball. In the end, DB won a valuable wire-to-wire championship. Kang said, "No one said that we were the candidates for the championship. When I opened the lid, I think we showed a performance that was close to that of a super team."

"One Club Man" coach Kim Ju-seong led the DB as a player, and elevated his team to No. 1 in the regular league this time as a coach. He became the fifth head coach in the history of professional basketball to lead a team to No. 1 in the regular league in the first season after his official debut. He is the second former one-club man to lead a team to No. 1 in the regular league after Choo Seung-kyun.

DB, which ranked atop in the regular league, received 100 million won (approx. DB, which went directly to the semifinal playoff, will have a showdown with the winning team of the semifinal playoff, where teams ranking fourth and fifth in the regular league will compete in the playoff.

It became a more thrilling moment to win as it was the first place in the regular league after overcoming its inferiority and playing overtime.

With 3,499 spectators in attendance, DB was in a tight corner as it was trailing by 15 points in the second quarter. As shootings intensified, the team was dragged to KT, which put Heo Hoon and Paris Bath at the forefront. However, the team staged a massive counterattack in the second half of the year. After tying at 46-46 in the third quarter, the team staged a fierce competition with KT.

KT was also not easy. Adding to the enthusiasm of its home fans, DB seemed to win, but KT quickly brought the game to square one, continuing fierce competition throughout the game. Eventually, the two teams went into overtime without playing a game during regular hours.

DB had the lead in concentration at the end. Didric Lawson turned the game upside down with two crucial 3-pointers, and displayed high concentration in defense, defying KT's persistent pursuit. Eventually, DB ended the game with 107-103 victory. DB, which was able to confirm its win even if it lost by a margin of 19 points or less on the day, erased the last magic number with a thrilling victory.

Lawson had a whopping 47 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals in the one-man show of the DB. He threw 14 three-pointers and made half of the shots. He hit an outer shot at every critical moment without fail. Park In-woong also contributed by scoring 12 points, including three 3-pointers. Kang had 14 points and 14 rebounds, and Kim Jong-kyu had four points and seven rebounds.

KT had a triple-double-class performance with 29 points and six assists, including six three-point shots, and Bath with 29 points and 18 rebounds and eight assists, but suffered a setback due to lack of concentration. Ha Yoon-ki also contributed with 18 points and five rebounds, but his team's loss faded.

As soon as DB's victory was confirmed, DB players hugged each other and enjoyed the joy. Many spectators who had been waiting for DB's victory in the regular league also congratulated the players with enthusiastic applause and cheers. The mood in the court reached its climax with the announcement of DB's victory in the regular league.

After the game, manager Kim Joo-sung said, "I'm a coach who lacks good eyesight, and I think the players played well in the season to help me learn more. I'm very happy. I was nervous, but I feel new emotions."

"When I first came to Wonju, I didn't expect to be there for more than 20 years," coach Kim said. "At first, I didn't even know where Wonju was, but now it's the first hometown I've lived the longest in my life. I think the fans are cheering me on and encouraging me a lot more."

"When I won the championship as a player, I liked it by jumping up and down, but I'm a little sad that I can't play as a coach. If I win the combined championship, I'll jump up and down, and I'm similarly happy about the moment of victory both in my career and as a coach, but I think I'm happier now because I made the coach who lacked players better, not lowering me," he said with a smile.

I gave credit not only to the players but also to the coaches such as Han Sang-min and Lee Kwang-jae. "I don't think I could have done it alone. I had discussions with the coaches such as Han Sang-min and Lee Kwang-jin, and communicated with them while raising my voice. There is nothing that a coach can do alone. They have great passion for basketball. They are friends who always work hard with me. I have fun learning from each other."

Captain Kang Sang-jae said, "I was able to achieve the victory because I exercised more than 100%.