KBL SEMIFINALS UPDATE: SK Knights, LG Sakers Take 2-0 Series Lead

A quick recap of how the first two games in each KBL Semifinals series unfolded

What Happened

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Seoul SK Knights vs. Suwon KT Sonicboom

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In their quest for back-to-back appearances in the KBL Finals and the East Asia Super League, the Suwon KT Sonicboom faced a tough challenge in the semifinals against the No. 1-seeded Seoul SK Knights.

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KT came out hot in Game 1, opening with a 10-0 run and taking a 21-11 lead after the first quarter, fueled by three early triples from star guard Heo Hoon.

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But SK clawed back, eventually tying the game at 28-28 just before halftime. The third quarter stayed close, but Seoul took control in the fourth behind four-time KBL Foreign MVP Jameel Warney. The dominant SK import stuffed the stat sheet with 23 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks, helping the Knights secure a 65-61 victory and a 1-0 series lead.

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Heo led KT in the loss, finishing with 24 points and six made 3’s.

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Game 2 followed a similar script, with Suwon KT racing out to a 15-5 start. But reigning local MVP An Young Jun kept Seoul SK in it, scoring in bunches and helping the Knights draw even at 40-40 by halftime.

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Seoul gradually pulled ahead late in the third, capitalizing on KT’s offensive struggles. An’s right-corner 3 with 1:11 left in the period gave SK a 61-52 lead, and from there, KT was never able to cut the deficit back to single digits.

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Warney stepped up again in the fourth, scoring in a variety of ways and finishing with a game-high 28 points. An totaled 18 in SK’s commanding 86-70 win.

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For KT, the story was Heo Hoon’s cold shooting night — he went 0-for-7 from deep and finished with just five points after his Game 1 explosion. Import forward Rayshaun Hammonds led the Sonicboom with 21 points.

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Changwon LG Sakers vs. Hyundai Mobis Phoebus

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For both the LG Sakers and Mobis Phoebus, a win in their semifinal matchup would mean a first-ever EASL berth—and a spot in the Champions League of Asian Basketball for the 2025–26 season.

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In Game 1, Hyundai came out strong, racing to a double-digit lead after the first quarter while holding LG to just 11 points. But the Sakers clawed back, eventually taking their first lead of the game, 37–34, on a left-wing 3 by Yu Ki Sang with 6:53 remaining in the third quarter.

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Momentum began to shift toward the No. 2-seeded Sakers, but Mobis Phoebus hung tough, trimming multiple deficits to pull within four with a minute left in regulation.

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With 18.5 seconds to go and trailing 66–64, Mobis was forced to foul. Yu stepped to the line and split his free throws, giving Phoebus one last chance to steal Game 1. But star import Gabe Prim missed a potential game-tying 3, and LG held on for the 67–64 win. The Sakers were led by Assem Marei’s 27 points and 13 rebounds on 68.4% shooting, while Prim paced Mobis with 20.

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Down 1-0 in the series, Hyundai Mobis battled neck-and-neck with LG through the first 20 minutes, following a strong 28-point first quarter with a slower 16-point second. After halftime, the visitors stayed competitive but started to slip in the final minutes of the third quarter, allowing Changwon to pull ahead heading into the fourth.

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Gabe Prim worked to keep the Phoebus in it, scoring key buckets inside while also handling the tough task of defending LG’s top big man, Assem Marei. Prim finished with 16 points on 58.3% shooting but struggled to contain Marei, who powered his way to a dominant 24-point, 18-rebound double-double, including 10 offensive boards.

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Hyundai Mobis stayed within reach for much of the fourth quarter, hovering just under a double-digit deficit, but couldn’t get the key stops needed to close the gap. Trading baskets with LG as time ticked away, their chances continued to fade.

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With 2:22 left, LG’s Asian import Carl Tamayo hit a tough mid-range jumper from the left wing to stretch the lead to 80-69. Tamayo finished with a personal series-high 22 points, and from there, Changwon pulled away for an 84-75 victory.

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What It Means

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Seoul SK and Changwon LG each hold a 2-0 lead in their KBL Semifinal series, putting both teams just one win away from a trip to the KBL Finals—and automatic qualification for the 2025–26 EASL season. Both could punch their ticket as early as Monday, April 28. As the top two seeds from this year’s KBL regular season, a potential Finals matchup between Seoul and Changwon promises to deliver high-level, entertaining basketball.

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For SK, a return to the Finals would also mean a return to EASL, following their absence from the 2024–25 campaign. The Knights were part of EASL’s inaugural home-and-away season in 2023-24, reaching the championship game before falling 72–68 to Japan’s Chiba Jets. For LG, an EASL berth would mark the first in franchise history.

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