“(Byun) Junhyung’s rivalry with you? Rather than that, I put a lot of pressure on myself. I think that led to my competitive spirit.”
Goyang Carrot won 89-75 in the 2022-23 SKT Adot Pro Basketball Quarterfinals playoff second leg against Anyang KGC Ginseng Corporation held at Anyang Indoor Gymnasium on the 15th, balancing the series with 1 win and 1 loss.
If you are reviewing this match, you only need to know one point. This is Junghyun Lee. He single-handedly destroyed KGC Ginseng Corporation, the No. 1 wire-to-wire and East Asian champion.
Lee Jung-hyun played in 37 minutes and 31 seconds in the second game, recording 32 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 steals. KGC Ginseng Corporation tried their best to stop him, but it was impossible. He surpassed Byun Jun-hyung in just one day of performance.
After the game, Lee Jung-hyun said, “I was not in a good mood because I lost so badly in the first game. When he got injured early in the game, everything was off balance. In the end, he prepared with the mindset to do well from the second game, and that led to a positive effect,” he said. It was obviously difficult for him, but not playing much in the first game eventually became the driving force behind the victory,” he said.
It is not possible to evaluate Lee Jung-hyun’s performance only with simple records. Unlike Hyundai Mobis, he was aware of all the defenses of KGC Ginseng Corporation, which pressed him.
Lee Jung-hyun said, “If Hyundai Mobis chose to defend against a foreign player standing in front of me, KGC Ginseng Corporation played a help defense by pressing left and right. He felt the difference in defense while playing briefly in the first game메이저놀이터,” he said. “I thought I shouldn’t respond like before Hyundai Mobis. He showed his cleverness, saying, “Rather than breaking through, he looked for opportunities for mid-range jumpers or three-point shots.”
We must not forget the fighting spirit of injuries. Lee Jung-hyun was icing on his left arm throughout the interview. As much as he moves a lot, he often falls on the court and his left arm is full of bruises. He said, “After falling a lot, I stood up with his elbow on the floor, and then I got a lot of bruises. He is in a situation where even the slightest pressure is painful. Still, it’s not to the point where he can’t run at all, so he endures and runs,” he said. “It hurts when I fall (laughs). Other than that, no pain. He said, “It’s a little too much to call it an injury, but I think it was accumulated through a lot of running.”
Lee Jung-hyun’s performance was clearly compared to Byun Jun-hyung’s rather passive play. Compared to Lee Jung-hyun, who dominated the entire game, Byun Jun-hyung had no boldness that he showed during the regular season. His personal record is good. He recorded 16 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocked shots. However, he couldn’t find the dominance that an ace should show. That’s why Lee Jung-hyun’s performance shined even more.
Lee Jung-hyun said, “Director (Kim Seung-gi) and (former) Seong-hyun hyung give me a lot of stimulation from the side. It’s the same in the director’s interview, and Seonghyun-hyung also asks, “When are you going to win?” (laughs). He asked me to hit him on the back of the head if he seemed unable to concentrate on his own,” he said. He said he wanted to win by all means through the fighting spirit in me.”
Carrot coach Kim Seung-gi seemed moved after the game, saying, “I felt like I was going to cry at the players’ play.” Lee Jung-hyun, who heard about this, said, “I should have seen that in person, but it’s too bad.” All the players are seeing it. So he was able to take a step further,” he laughed.
“I also felt the power of the fans. It seemed that more fans came than in the first game. So, the ceremony was even bigger. He thinks that all players have been given strength.”