The Ulsan Hyundai Mobis won their first game of the season against the Seoul Samsung of the 2023-2024 Korean Professional Basketball League 77-69 at Dongcheon Gymnasium in Ulsan on Monday. After facing the bad news of Lee Woo-seok’s (injury) absence before the game, Hyundai Mobis had to deal with the unexpected when Gage Prim left the court in the third quarter. After committing a T-foul early in the game, Prim also accumulated a U-foul in the third quarter and left the court after being ejected.
In a moment of crisis, Hyundai Mobis’ big lineup shined in the clutch and secured the win. With the win, Hyundai Mobis snapped a two-game losing streak and moved into sole possession of second place with five wins (3 L).
After suffering from poor outside shooting and a third-quarter deficit during the losing streak, Hyundai Mobis had a new weapon in its arsenal: a big lineup.
Before the game, head coach Cho Dong-hyun announced that Choi Jin-soo (34, 203 cm) would be starting the game, with the intention of using his height as a 3 (small forward) to create mismatches and get to the basket.토토사이트
In the end, this choice paid off, as Samsung utilized their height advantage to attack the basket. Ham Ji-hoon (39, 198 cm) led the way with 18 points and nine assists, while Prim and Kebe Aluma combined for 29 points and 12 rebounds. Their performances also helped Hyundai Mobis to a 36-32 advantage in points off turnovers.
While Ham Ji-hoon and the two foreign players focused on offense, Choi Jin-soo focused on defense, positioning himself well both on the perimeter and under the basket. When Coburn tried to post up inside, two Hyundai Mobis defenders surrounded him, and Choi seamlessly moved to help defend a foot away from the low post.
The moment when the big lineup really shined was the game-winner. After finishing the third quarter tied (52-52), Hyundai Mobis scored the next eight points to take control of the game at the start of the fourth quarter. At a time when they needed a change of pace, Hyundai Mobis’ big lineup effectively shut down the opposing offense.
After the game, head coach Cho Dong-hyun praised the big men, saying, “They did a good job of executing the defense we prepared.” He also revealed his plans for the big lineup going forward.
He said, “(Choi) Jin-soo showed good form in the D-League. We plan to use a big lineup using him a little bit (in the regular season). I’m planning to use other big lineups because Jin-soo is good at defense and height,” Cho said.
Cho is also considering another type of big lineup. It’s possible to see Aluma, with his shooting ability, at small forward, alongside Korean big men like Jang Jae-seok and Kim Jun-il.
Hyundai Mobis’ big lineup boasts a solid lineup of big men. It will be a point of interest to watch in future Hyundai Mobis games.