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Busan KCC edge out Wonju DB in KBL quarterfinal series 81-78

Published: 14 Apr. 2026, 15:41

Busan KCC players celebrate after securing a win over Wonju DB in Game 1 of the KBL quarterfinal playoffs at Wonju DB Promy Arena in Wonju, Gangwon, on April 13. [YONHAP]

Busan KCC opened the playoffs with a win over Wonju DB on Monday, taking the early edge in their first-round series.

KCC beat DB 81-78 at Wonju DB Promy Arena in Wonju, Gangwon, in Game 1 of the best-of-five quarterfinals. Teams that win the opener in the quarterfinals advance to the semifinals 91.1 percent of the time.

Shawn Long led all scorers with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Among domestic players, Song Kyo-chang stood out with 20 points and nine rebounds, including five points and four rebounds in the fourth quarter.

Of the 56 previous quarterfinal series, the Game 1 winner went on to take the series 51 times.

KCC, considered a title contender before the season, struggled through the regular season and finished sixth to claim the final playoff spot. Head coach Lee Sang-min, who led the team to its 20th playoff appearance, recorded his 10th career playoff win against 11 losses with Monday’s victory.

DB, which finished third in the regular season and went 3-3 against KCC in the regular season, now faces a tougher path after dropping the opener. Henry Ellenson scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, but his late ejection proved costly.

Game 2 will be played on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the same venue.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PIH JU-YOUNG [[email protected]]