There was no denying destiny. It seemed that the Goyang Sono Skygunners were destined to make the finals for the first time in the franchise’s history.
And they did just that. Fifth-seed team Goyang Sono brought down the top seed and defending champion Changwon LG Sakers, 90-80, in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinals series held at the Goyang Sono Arena.
At the start of the semifinals, it was clear that the Sono Skygunners, led by its Asian import and Gilas Pilipinas standout from La Salle Kevin Quiambao, have one goal in their minds, which is to head to the championship round of the 2025-2026 Korean Basketball League (KBL) and complete their fairytale run in the league.
They were like men on a mission. The fire to prevail was ever present from Game 1 all the way to Game 3. They wanted to win, they just didn’t expect that they would do it in sweeping fashion by winning three games in a row in their best-of-five tussle with the Sakers.
Quiambao, the 2025–26 KBL Rookie of the Year, who averaged 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game during the regular season, scored 17 points (7-11 FGs), hauled down seven rebounds, and dished a monster seven dimes, to demonstrate his tremendous vision on the floor.
The two other players of the “Big Three,” Lee Jung-hyun, scored 17 points, three rebounds, and three assists, and import Nathan Knight, who dropped 10 points, collared six caroms, dished three assists, and two blocks, were in their usual deadly form. There were four other players who scored in double digits for the team’s well-balanced scoring output.
With a slight chuckle, Sono head coach Son Chang-hwan told The Chosun Daily “The players did exceptionally well. They pushed so hard from the start that I had to urge them to hold back. I’m grateful to the players for giving their all until the end. I’m honored to have achieved such a good result.”
Now, all that Goyang Sono has to do is wait—and take a much-needed rest—as they await the result of the other semifinal pairing between the sixth-seed Busan KCC Egis and the second seed Anyang Jung Kwan Jang (JKJ), playing today at the Busan Sajik Stadium.
The two teams are currently tied at 1-1 in their own best-of-five semis series.