Second-year pro guard Lee Jung-hyun (24, Goyang Carrot Jumpers) saved the team from a crisis.
Goyang Carrot Jumpers won 89-75 against Anyang KGC Ginseng Corporation in the second round of the 2022-2023 SKT A-Dot Professional Basketball Playoffs (PO) held at Anyang Indoor Gymnasium at 2:00 pm on the 15th.
With this, Carrot balanced the series by making 1 win and 1 loss. In the first game, coach Kim Seung-gi quickly called in key players and threw the number of wins, which returned to victory in the second game.
Lee Jung-hyun was the first contributor. He scored 32 points and 5 steals, flying wildly on both sides of the offense and defense. It was a great performance that reminded me of coach Kim Seung-gi’s words, “A player who should receive an MVP, not a skill development award later.”
After the game, Lee Jung-hyun appeared with an ice bag wrapped around his left elbow. He said, “I fell a lot and bruised my elbow. It hurts just by pressing. After the finish, I fell a lot and it accumulated.”
Lee Jung-hyun picked a break in the last game as the driving force behind the victory. He said, “I lost by a big score with a very bad performance in the first game. I didn’t feel good. In the first quarter, I hurt my neck and the pain was severe, and everything was out of balance. Maybe the coach felt that way, and he said let’s meet the next game, and he didn’t feel good. I took it out,” he said, “that had a big impact. I had a lot of physical strain after playing until the 5th game, but I had enough time to rest. Thanks to that, it was a really difficult game, but I think I was able to win.”
Even in the guard fight with KGC Byun Jun-hyung, who was selected as the ‘Best 5’ this season, he was not pushed back at all. Lee Jung-hyun said, “Today, I had no choice but to win. In the first game, it really felt like it was over as soon as ‘the game started.’ He kept saying, ‘Will Junhyung win the matchup with Hyung?’, ‘When the hell are you going to win?'”
He added, “So I asked him to hit me in the back if I couldn’t concentrate. I’m too short to be a rival, but I tried to win from the beginning. I wanted to win even if I put pressure like that.”
Coach Seung-gi Kim, who had previously attended the press conference, applauded the devoted defense, saying, “I was in tears in the middle of the game. I wondered how they didn’t care.”
As soon as Lee Jung-hyun heard this story, he burst into laughter and said, “I should have seen it in person, but it’s a pity that I couldn’t see it. I looked at the bench while running and the coach really liked it in the second half. That was conveyed to the players as well. Thanks to that, Lee Jung-hyun burst into laughter. It was really hard, but I think I was able to go one step further.”
At the end of the fourth quarter, Lee Jung-hyun approached the away fans and induced cheers. He said, “While listening to the shouts and cheers, I felt that more fans came to watch than in the last game. I think energy was delivered to all players through that ceremony.”
The victory on this day was a meaningful victory not only for Carrot, but also for Lee Jung-hyun personally. He said, “Last year, I couldn’t even win a win in the quarterfinals. At that time, I was the 4th and 5th option. So rather than taking the lead, I was the type to press hard on the opponent’s main ball handler and be confident when I had a chance.”토토사이트 “From the start, I felt that several players were trying to stop me with various defenses. I wanted to win and enjoyed it as I overcame them one by one. After the first game, I thought it would be really difficult to win, but this is how I won my first win in the semifinals after my debut. It means a lot.” he said forcefully
Meanwhile, director Kim Seung-gi explained that the secret to Lee Jung-hyun’s growth lies in his changed mindset. He said, “I think I’ve grown that way because I’m with you.
I wonder if Lee Jung-hyun feels that way too? He said, “I think it has changed too much. I don’t know why. While playing today, I remembered the game in which we lost to KGC by 20 points during the regular season. I tried to protect it, and that’s how it happened. Looking at that part, I think I’ve grown a little bit as a point guard now.”