Lee Ho-hyun (184 cm, G) put on a one-man show against his hometown team.

Busan KCC lost 87-96 to Seoul Samsung in the regular season finale of the 2023-2024 Jungkwanjang Professional Basketball League on Thursday at Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium.

KCC, which has already secured a playoff berth, remained in fifth place with a 27-24 record on the 스포츠토토사이트 season with the loss.

KCC was playing without most of its starters, including Heo Woong (185 cm, G), Song Kyo-chang (200 cm, F), and Choi Jun-yong (200 cm, F). Samsung’s height, led by Kofi Coburn (210 cm, C), was exploited with quick transitions and shots.

KCC guard Lee Ho-hyun played a big role in this. Lee drew a basket against Coburn at the start of the first quarter and immediately converted a three-point play at the 6:56 mark of the first quarter when he dribbled in on his own and immediately converted a three-point play when he had a shooting opportunity.

However, Lee was too eager to take matters into his own hands in the second quarter, committing two turnovers that led to fast break opportunities for Samsung.

Lee had only one field goal attempt in the second quarter, but he was more active on offense in the third quarter.

With just over seven minutes left in the third quarter, Lee hit a three-pointer and immediately followed it up with a layup off a pass from Lee Seung-hyun (197 cm, F), providing much-needed scoring from inside and outside. He also played a two-man game with Ragan-ah (199 cm, C), dishing out assists to make it easier for Ragan-ah to score in the post.

With 12 points in the third quarter alone, eight of which came in the paint zone, Lee was impressive for not letting Samsung’s height get in his way and utilizing his speed and quickness. With Lee leading the way in the third quarter, KCC was able to cut the lead to 73-72.

However, after exerting so much energy in the third quarter, Lee went cold on offense in the fourth quarter. He was held to one field goal attempt and struggled to stop Lee (190 cm, G), which led to the team’s loss.

Lee had a roller coaster game from quarter to quarter, but finished with a solid 20 points and two assists in 35 minutes. The 20 points were his most since joining KCC, making his presence felt against his hometown team.

Lee will now prepare for KCC’s spring basketball season. Fans are eager to see if Lee, who has established himself as KCC’s core guard alongside Heo Woong, can repeat his performance in the playoffs.