Suwon KT rode the momentum of a five-game winning streak as ace Heo Hoon returned from military service.
Paris Bass (24 points, 12 rebounds) and Ha Yoon-ki (23 points, 6 rebounds) combined for 47 points as KT defeated the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis 77-61 on the road in the 2023-24 regular season at Dongcheon Gymnasium in Ulsan on Wednesday. KT, which won its fifth straight game after upsetting Hyundai Mobis at home two days earlier, moved into a tie for second place with Anyang Chungkwanjang with a 6-3 record. They are two games behind first-place Wonju DB (8-1).
Meanwhile, Hyundai Mobis, which lost its second straight game, dropped to 5-5 and is tied for fifth place with Seoul SK (4-4).
Much of the credit for KT, which finished eighth last season and didn’t play spring basketball, is due to Ha Yoon-ki, who has yet to see the court due to injury and before Heo Hoon’s return. After averaging 15.3 points and 6.4 rebounds in 51 games last season, Ha Yun-ki, who played the role of boy wonder, has shown signs of improvement, averaging 19.6 points and 7.0 rebounds in nine games, although it’s still early in the season.
KT struggled from beyond the arc on the day, hitting just three of 24 three-pointers, but finished with a commanding 50-30 advantage in paint-zone scoring thanks to Bass and Ha Yoon-ki. Free throw attempts were also outnumbered by KT, 18-4.
Leading 52-46 after three quarters, KT extended the margin to double digits early in the fourth quarter with a three-pointer from Jung Sung-woo (11 points) and two free throws from Bass, before Ha Yoon-ki scored nine points in the paint zone to extend the lead to 19 points with 1:38 left to seal the win 캡틴토토 도메인.
Hyundai Mobis, who have faltered to a 2-5 record after winning their opening three games in a row and losing Signe Jin to injury, got a boost from Gage Prim (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Kim Kook-chan (13 points) but could not prevent the team from falling.