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Ulsan Phoebus storm to 2-0 in playoff series against Anyang Red Boosters

Published: 16 Apr. 2025, 16:20 Updated: 17 Apr. 2025, 16:07

Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus celebrate after winning Game 2 of the first round of KBL playoffs against the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters at Ulsan Dongchun Gyanasium in Ulsan on April 15. [NEWS1]

Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus thrashed the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters 90-72 in the second game of the first round of the KBL playoffs in Ulsan on Tuesday, taking the best-of-five series score to 2-0.

One more win would secure Phoebus a ticket to the second round of the playoffs, with the winner of that series reaching the championship.

Phoebus power forward Gage Prim led the team's attack with 21 points, with Shawn Long scoring 19 points.

The Red Boosters mounted a late push in the final quarter, but Long dunked with 4 minutes and 10 seconds remaining and contributed to a huge victory.

“The players showed passion and determination, which made the game easier,” Phoebus head coach Cho Dong-hyun said after the game. “If I had to rate it overall, I’d give them 100.”

The two teams will play the third game of the series in Anyang, Gyeonggi, on Thursday.

Teams that have won the first two games of the first round of the playoffs have advanced to the second round 24 out of 24 times.

Phoebus headed to the postseason on the back of a third-place finish in the regular season, while the Red Boosters finished in sixth place on the 10-team table.

The postseason consists of two playoff rounds and the season finale championship.

The playoffs run with a best-of-five series while the championship takes a best-of-seven format.

The first round of playoffs pits the No. 4 and No. 5 teams head-to-head in one bracket and the No. 3 and No. 6 clubs in the other bracket.

The winner between the No. 4 Suwon KT Sonicboom and the No. 5 Daegu Kogas Pegasu will face the KBL regular season winners Seoul SK Knights in the second round of playoffs, and the winning team between No. 3 Phoebus and the No. 6 Red Boosters will take on the regular-season runners-up Changwon LG Sakers.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY PIH JU-YOUNG [[email protected]]