In a night that will be talked about for years to come, the Goyang Sono Skygunners stunned the regular season champion Changwon LG Sakers with a dramatic 69-63 comeback victory in the first game of the 2025-2026 LG Electronics KBL semifinals at Changwon Gymnasium on April 23, 2026. For a team that only entered the league in 2023 and made its playoff debut this spring, Sono’s performance was nothing short of electrifying. Facing a daunting 15-point deficit early in the third quarter, Sono clawed their way back to seize a crucial win and grab the upper hand in this best-of-five series.
It was a packed house, with 4,950 fans filling the stands, many expecting the home team LG to assert their dominance early in the series. After all, LG had not only clinched the top spot in the regular season but were also defending their first-ever championship title from last year. Yet, what unfolded on the hardwood was a testament to resilience, teamwork, and a touch of playoff magic.
LG came out firing on all cylinders. Led by the imposing presence of Asem Maree, who racked up a monstrous 21 points and 21 rebounds, and with solid support from Kal Tamayo (19 points, 5 rebounds) and Yang Jun-seok (12 points), LG surged ahead to a 36-23 halftime lead. Their defense was smothering, holding Sono to a mere 26% shooting from the field and dominating the boards 23-16 at the half. The Skygunners, meanwhile, couldn’t buy a basket from deep, missing all eight of their three-point attempts in the first quarter and struggling to find any offensive rhythm.
But as the second half began, the script started to flip. LG extended their lead to a game-high 15 points when Maree scored early in the third quarter, but that’s when Sono’s veteran core sprang into action. Lee Jae-do, affectionately dubbed the “SuperSonic,” ignited the comeback with relentless drives and timely buckets, finishing the night with 17 points and 4 rebounds. Nathan Knight, battling foul trouble, matched Lee’s scoring and added 11 rebounds for a crucial double-double. Regular season MVP Lee Jung-hyun, quiet in the first half, poured in 11 of his 13 points after the break, including a pivotal three-pointer late in the third quarter that signaled Sono’s intentions.
“Everyone knew how important this game was,” Lee Jae-do said after the final buzzer, mixing a bit of humor and humility. “To win with a comeback like this, we really seized the initiative. I think LG will be pretty rattled. Maybe their coach focused on our big three and didn’t prepare for me, so I was able to score more,” he joked, referencing LG head coach Cho Sang-hyun’s defensive schemes. Lee, who once played for LG, showed no split loyalties, saying, “This is the playoffs, and I’m focused on playing for Sono now. The team is different from when I was there, and I’m just glad to contribute.”
Lee also highlighted the positive team spirit that has carried Sono through adversity. “At halftime, even though we were down, the guys kept saying it didn’t feel like we’d lose. Veterans like Jung Hee-jae and Lim Dong-seop were confident we’d turn it around in the fourth quarter. I especially want to praise Knight and Egidijus (Motkaivičius). Knight got into foul trouble early but still played Maree to a standstill. That’s not easy for a first-year player.”
Indeed, the fourth quarter belonged to Sono. They chipped away at the deficit, with Lee Jae-do scoring seven points in the final frame and Knight adding eight, including a thunderous dunk off a fast break that brought the bench and fans to their feet. Lee Jung-hyun’s late-game poise shone through, and Kevin Kembao’s clutch free throws tied the game at 58. From there, Knight’s two-point jumper gave Sono their first lead, and his defensive block moments later set up another fast break dunk that all but sealed the deal. With just 1:30 left, Lim Dong-seop’s layup extended Sono’s advantage to 66-60, and LG simply couldn’t recover.
LG’s offensive woes were glaring, particularly from beyond the arc and the charity stripe. The Sakers shot just 8% (2-for-24) from three-point range and a dismal 36% (5-for-14) on free throws, numbers that haunted them down the stretch. Maree’s Herculean effort kept LG in the contest, but the supporting cast couldn’t find their shooting touch when it mattered most.
For Sono, this victory was not only historic but statistically significant. In KBL history, teams that win the first game of a best-of-five semifinal series advance to the finals nearly 79% of the time. It’s a massive confidence boost for a squad that swept fourth-place Seoul SK in the quarterfinals and now has the regular season champs on the ropes. Yet, Lee Jae-do was quick to caution against overconfidence, observing, “LG’s players looked calm after the game. They’re experienced, and you can’t forget they’re the defending champions. This series isn’t over.”
It hasn’t been an easy road for Lee personally. Plagued by injuries and limited playing time throughout the season, he credited a positive mindset and support from teammates and coaches for helping him rise to the occasion. “It was the second hardest season of my career,” Lee admitted. “But I focused on staying positive, listening to good people around me, and just smiling through it all.”
Sono’s win did come at a cost, with injury concerns lingering over Lim Dong-seop and Choi Seung-wook ahead of Game 2. Lee acknowledged the challenge: “Their condition isn’t great. We spent a lot of energy in the quarterfinals, but that just opened up opportunities for me tonight. Game 2 will be tough, but we’ll keep fighting.”
With the second semifinal matchup set for April 25 at the same venue, all eyes will be on whether Sono can maintain their momentum or if LG will bounce back and remind everyone why they’re the reigning champions. One thing is certain: the KBL playoffs just got a lot more interesting.