Busan KCC defeated Ulsan Hyundai Mobis and won the KBL Cup.
KCC defeated Hyundai Mobis 81-76 in the final of the '2023 MG Saemaeul Geumgo KBL Cup' held at Wolmyeong Gymnasium in Gunsan on the 15th. KCC won the cup competition for the first time, and Hyundai Mobis finished in runner-up for two consecutive years since last year.
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament was awarded to Alize DeShawn Johnson, who led KCC to victory by scoring 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists. Johnson scored the most points (40 points) in a cup competition in history in the semifinals against Suwon KT the previous day (14th), and showed outstanding performance with an average of 25.3 points (101 points in total) and 11.8 rebounds (47 rebounds in total) in the four games of this tournament. unfolded.
KCC finished the first quarter far behind, 15-35. Only two players, including Hyundai Mobis Lee Woo-seok (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Gage Prim (20 points), contributed 22 points. There were only two rebounds. As the team collapsed helplessly, Johnson could not use much strength.
In the second quarter, KCC's counterattack began. With Johnson as the solution, he tied Hyundai Mobis at 35 points and scored 15 points in succession. Johnson took the lead in the chase, scoring 14 points and 7 rebounds in the second quarter alone, while Geun-Hwi Lee (9 points) scored 3 and Jun-Yong Choi (11 points, 4 rebounds) hit 2 3-pointers to heat up the atmosphere. KCC, backed by the one-sided support of Gunsan fans, took the lead for the first time that day at 42-42 with Johnson's floater. KCC finished the first half with the score tied 52-52, completely making up for the huge disadvantage in the first quarter.
After a fierce third quarter with back and forth, Johnson started again in the fourth quarter. He made a layup shot at 69-70 and led the comeback to 71-70. Afterwards, thanks to Heo Woong (15 points, 5 assists) and Choi Jun-yong scoring decisive points through set offense, KCC ran away to 77-70 with 2 minutes left.
Johnson was on his own from about 50 seconds before the end, leading 77-73. He provided a decisive assist to Ho-Hyun Lee (7 points, 5 assists), and even won a rebound in the ensuing defense, putting a wedge in the game. After scoring a goal following a brilliant dribble, he led a celebration to the fans and made a strong statement prior to the start of the new season.
“I want to give credit to my teammates,” Johnson said after the game. “This is my first time playing abroad, and I am grateful to them for helping me adapt very comfortably.” He added, “I am happy that we achieved great results with a good team and good players.”