October 2, 2024 – SM Mall of Asia Arena, Manila

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The Korean Basketball League’s Suwon KT Sonicboom began the 2024-25 East Asia Super League (EASL) season with an 87-81 victory over the Philippine Basketball Association side, the San Miguel Beermen.

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Fueled by a game-high 39 points from Suwon KT import Rayshaun Hammonds, the Sonicboom overcame efficient inside play early from San Miguel to pull away late in the second half.

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Beginning the second half behind 43-39, Suwon KT embarked on an offensive outburst while shutting down San Miguel on the other end. Entering the fourth quarter, the Sonicboom were ahead 68-62 and never looked back.

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Post-Game Triple:

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1. E.J. Anosike’s Excels Against Former Team

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EJ Anosike played for the Suwon KT Sonicboom in 2022. Facing his former team was probably the reason why he had 10 points in the first quarter alone.

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By way of an assortment of post-ups and turnaround shots, Anosike notched 23 points by halftime.

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Early on, when the Beermen had trouble shooting near the perimeter, they began to play through Anosike. He found success with his patented spin move and also hit a few close-range floaters.

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Then, in the second period, the forward cleaned up a Quincy Miller miss, corralling the rebound before muscling in an effort through a sea of Sonicboom defenders.

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With five minutes before the break, Anosike capped off a dominant first 20 minutes through an impressive 6-point spurt. Isolated near the right wing, he splashed home a 3 to tie the game at 32-32. On San Miguel’s next possession, Anosike burrowed deep into the paint for an easy layup, picking up an and-one opportunity on the way.

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Without Anosike’s heroics, San Miguel would not have its slim 43-39 halftime lead.

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2. Heo and Han Show Out

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As part of a one-two punch to back up Suwon KT’s Rayshaun Hammonds, Heo Hoon and Han Huiwon combined for 31 points in the Sonicboom’s 87-81 victory.

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Proving his worth as an elite floor general, Heo never failed to control the pace during Wednesday night’s affair. The 6-foot point guard — who took over the title of team captain over the offseason — hit timely 3’s off the dribble and found Hammonds off of pick-and-rolls for a slew of easy baskets. He finished with 17 points, nine assists and only 2 turnovers in 38 minutes.

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Han, on the other hand, had 14 points almost exclusively from behind the arc. The 6-foot-5 forward made five 3-pointers on 50% shooting from the field and was essential in Suwon KT’s attempt to keep the game close despite Anosike’s hot start.

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3. Quincy Miller Struggles

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Quincy Miller never seemed to find his groove against Suwon KT. The former NBA journeyman — now in his first season with San Miguel — mustered only eight points in over 30 minutes of play and shot 16.8% from the field.

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Unable to score from outside in the early going, Miller looked comfortable after stringing together a couple of baskets in-close over Suwon KT’s Moon Jeonghyeon. Yet, instead of letting Miller continue to take advantage of his matchup, Suwon KT quickly adapted to force Miller out of the paint. He also struggled mightily with foul trouble, drawing a game-high four personal fouls.

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EASL Player of the Game: Rayshaun Hammonds - Suwon KT Sonicboom

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Hammonds probably couldn’t have dreamed of a better debut for his new team, Suwon KT. Battling back-and-forth with San Miguel’s star big Anosike, Hammonds’ 39 points willed the Sonicboom to their first-ever win in EASL competition.

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A crucial difference-maker in Suwon KT’s 13-4 run to begin the second half, Hammonds cashed in layup after layup to conjure up a 52-47 advantage for the KBL side. Dominating on both sides of the ball — picking up 14 rebounds along the way — Hammonds tore up San Miguel’s defense in the paint.

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In the fourth quarter, with just under two minutes remaining in the contest, Hammonds squared up on the right wing. Catching a pass from Heo, the 6-foot-9 forward showed no hesitation in rising up, canning his third 3 of the game and giving the Sonicboom a commanding 87-75 lead.

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Stat of the Game:

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San Miguel committed 15 turnovers in the first leg of Wednesday’s EASL Tip-Off 2024 event with three each coming from Anosike and Miller alone.

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Careless passing, dribble attempts into traffic and a few errant travel violations paved the way to a handful of run-outs for Suwon KT.

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In consecutive possessions near the end of the first quarter, backup point guard Christopher Ross had his pocket stripped twice, resulting in uncontested two-handed flushes for Hammonds and Ha Yungi. Fast forward to the second half and San Miguel still failed to clean up their act in its opening-day loss.

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Next Games:

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San Miguel Beermen: Home vs. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+) - November 13, 2024

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Suwon KT Sonicboom: Home vs. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+) - October 23, 2024

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