Seoul Samsung still needs Lee Jung-hyun to step up.

The Seoul Samsung returned to the top of the standings with an 84-80 win over the Daegu KOGAS in the first round of the 2023-2024 Korean Basketball League at Jamsil Gymnasium on Wednesday, improving to 2-2 with a 5 percent winning percentage. More than anyone else, Lee Jung-hyun’s performance stood out. He scored 32 points and helped the team find a way out of a tough spot.

Despite having a bad back, as mentioned by coach Eun Hee-seok in the pregame interview, Lee fully fulfilled the coach’s expectations for a Korean player’s scoring output. He finished with 32 points, including six three-pointers, to lead the team to victory.

When asked about the win, he said, “I think we played a good game. Our last game was too bad. We have ups and downs in our performance, and I think we need to take today’s game as an opportunity to reduce the ups and downs.”

On his back, Lee said, “I have some pain, but it’s not something that will keep me out of the game. I’m getting older, so I’m doing more strengthening exercises. We have a tight schedule, so there’s a little bit of pressure there,” he explained.

Lee Jung-hyun scored the points his team needed in close games. When asked about his focus in tight situations, he said, “I told them not to try to be 메이저토토사이트 too good and just enjoy it, and they enjoyed it and focused on it. I face the game with the thought that I will solve it. Even if I get criticized if I don’t do it, I think it’s good to be confident. I think all the other players moved well in the fourth quarter and we were able to play a good game.”

When asked about his role as a veteran, he said, “Sometimes it can be frustrating, but if you think about it, I was young once. I try to give the younger guys the know-how that I didn’t know when I was their age. I think that if the younger players grow up a little bit, they will have more depth and be able to compete. I’m trying to work with them to play the kind of basketball that the coach is asking them to play.”