7TH PLACE AND 5 GAMES IN HAND THE PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL SET-OF-SIX SET EARLY
The race for the sixth seed in the 2023-2024 Korean Professional Basketball League (KPB) is shaping up early. With four of the six rounds underway, the sixth-ranked Ulsan Hyundai Mobis (19-17) and seventh-ranked Daegu KOGAS (14-22) are separated by five games .In professional basketball, the battle for the top spot is usually fought in four places: first place, second place, which qualifies directly for the best-of-four playoffs, sixth place, which qualifies for the best-of-six playoffs, and last place .This season, however, Wonju DB (27-9) is in sole possession of first place, four games ahead of second, while Seoul Samsung (5-30) is in last place, eight games behind ninth-place Anyang Jeongguanjang (13-23).The race for three of the four spots – first, sixth, and 10th – has cooled off a bit, but the one team that hasn’t is No. 7 KOGAS.KOGAS was categorized as a “two-way” team along with Samsung before the season started. The team’s total player compensation was the lowest among the 10 clubs, and there were many uneasy factors, including the fact that Kang Hyuk, who was the coach until last season, was leading the team in an “acting” capacity.
KOGAS had the worst start to the season with a 1-12 record in their first 13 games, but it was a complete turnaround with a 13-10 record in their next 23 games .Especially in 2024, they have been flying high with 7 wins and 2 losses. The two losses came in close games against Hyundai Mobis and Goyang Sono. While KOGAS is diligently chipping away at the top six, the problem is that sixth-ranked Hyundai Mobis has been on a roll lately. Recently, Hyundai Mobis has been on a three-game winning streak and is now 6-3 in January. They have scored 90 points or more in five of their last six games, going 5-1.While KOGAS has been riding a wave of momentum, Hyundai Mobis has been doing the same, which is why the race for the top six hasn’t quite caught fire.
In particular, Hyundai Mobis has a four-game head-to-head advantage over KOGAS, meaning that even in a tie, Hyundai Mobis would have the upper hand. Neither eighth-place Sono (13W-22L) nor ninth-place Chung Kwan-jang have much of a lead over KOGAS, but their January performances have left them struggling for sixth place, with just four wins and three losses, respectively .In terms of points in contention, the battle for second place, which would put them directly into the four-team playoffs, is tight. Seoul SK is in second place with 23 wins and 13 losses, while Changwon LG and Suwon KT are tied for third place with 22 wins and 13 losses, half a game back. Fifth-place Busan KCC (19 wins and 15 losses) is a bit further back. Often referred to as the “telecom trio,” SK, LG, and KT are not ready to give up the chase for first place just yet, but 온라인카지노 they are likely to prioritize second place, which would put them directly into the quarterfinals.