Anyang KGC lock in 2022-23 KBL league title

Anyang KGC players celebrate after winning the 2022-23 KBL league title following a victory over Wonju DB Promy at Anyang Gymnasium on Sunday in Anyang, Gyeonggi. [NEWS1]

Anyang KGC won the 2022-23 KBL on Sunday after taking a 76-71 victory over Wonju DB Promy at home in Anyang, Gyeonggi to lock in their second league title ever with a game still in hand.

Sunday's game was a formality as KGC had actually secured the title before they even stepped on the court, since the second-place Changwon LG Sakers lost a chance to snatch the title with a loss to the third-place Seoul SK Knights earlier on the same day.

Sunday’s win, however, underscored just how impressive the team's wire-to-wire season has been.

KGC are the third team in KBL history to manage a wire-to-wire run — leading the league for the entire season — after Promy in 2012 and Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus in 2019.

The Anyang side have not ceded the top position on the table since the season started in October and only recorded one loss in the opening month against Jeonju KCC Egis.

They picked up multiple losses in the following months, but rode a 10 game winning-streak from Jan. 29 to Feb. 17 for the first time in the club’s history.

Although that streak ended with a loss to the Seoul SK Knights on Feb. 19, they still held onto the top spot.

KGC’s class also shone overseas, as they pulled off dominant performances at the inaugural East Asian Super League (EASL) Champions Week in which eight teams from five different countries competed in Japan.

The Anyang side thrashed Taipei Fubon Braves of Taiwan 94-69 and overwhelmed San Miguel Beerman of the Philippines 142-87 in the group stage to advance to what turned out to be an all-Korean final against the Seoul SK Knights.

The KBL leaders beat their league rivals 90-84 to become the first champions of the EASL.

KGC went on a slight downhill run after coming back from the EASL, however, losing three games in a row. Their top spot looked shaky, but they managed to maintain it after cutting the losing streak on March 18 and secured the title on Sunday.

This is the first time KGC has won the league title since 2017, when they also won the championship.

The Anyang side have one more game to play against the Goyang Carrot Jumpers on Wednesday, but regardless of that game’s result, they will play in the six-team playoffs.

The top six teams will compete in the playoffs after the regular season, with the third-place team facing off against the sixth-place team and the fourth-place team facing the fifth-place team.

The winner of the first game will advance to the second playoff series to face the runners-up, while the winner of the latter game will play KGC.

Although they have secured the league title twice, KGC have taken the championship three times: In 2012, 2017 and 2021.

The two winners of those games will ultimately face off in the seven-game championship.

Fourth-place Phoebus, fifth-place Jumpers and sixth-place KCC all booked their spots in the playoffs, while the Sakers and Knights, who are tied for second place on the table, will have to wait until after the last game to decide who takes the second position.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]