Best of the best face off for KBL championship

This year’s two best Korean Basketball League teams will play each other for the championship after easily holding off second-round playoff challenges.

The Seoul SK Knights and the Ulsan Mobis Phoebus will begin the best-of-seven series in Seoul tomorrow. The Knights advanced after beating the Anyang KGC Egis, 3-1, while the Phoebus swept the Incheon ET-Land Elephants, 3-0?.

The Knights won 44 games in the regular season, tying the league record for most wins, set by the Wonju Dongbu Promy ?last season. The Phoebus had 41 wins, a league record for the runner-up team.

SK led the league in scoring at 77.2 points per game and rebounding, with 38.9 per game. It also recorded the fewest turnovers, with 10.6 per game.

The Phoebus had the league’s best defense, allowing 67.6 points per game and the most assists, 17.3 per game.

Mobis had the league’s second-best offense, at 77.1 points per game, while SK had the second-best defense, giving up 69.6 points per game.

Two league-leading guards will face off against each other. Kim Sun-hyung of the Knights averaged 12.1 points, 4.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game during the regular season. Yang Dong-keun of the Phoebus averaged 10.1 points, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals. In January, Kim received the most All-Star Game fan votes for a guard, and Yang had the second-most votes.

The championship series will also feature a showdown between the leagues’ two best rookies, Choi Boo-kyung of the Knights and Kim Si-rae of the Phoebus. Choi, the No. 2 draft pick, averaged 8.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game during the regular season, while Kim, the No. 1 pick, averaged 6.9 points and 3 rebounds.

The Knights’ first-year coach, Moon Kyung-eun, is hoping to win the Knights’ first title in 13 years, while Phoebus coach Yoo Jae-hak is seeking his third KBL title?. The first two games will be held at the Jamsil Gymnasium in southern Seoul this weekend, with the next two games taking place in Ulsan beginning Tuesday.

By Moon Gwang-lip [joe@joongang.co.kr]