Carl Tamayo and the LG Sakers are the first team to advance to the KBL Finals while also securing a maiden trip to next season's East Asia Super League (EASL).
First to the Korean Basketball League (KBL) Finals are Carl Tamayo and the no. 2 seed Changwon LG Sakers.
Tamayo poured 16 points while Assem Marei scored the game-winning basket with 3.5 seconds left, leading the LG Skers’s nail-biting 76-74 escape over the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus in Game 3 of their semifinal duel.
Marei made up for a Tamayo missed jumper after converting the clutch basket off a Yang Jun Seok's offensive board.
The Gilas Pilipinas forward also finished with three rebounds, three assists, and two triples in 34 minutes of play.
Changwon’s three-game sweep of Ulsan also earned the team a first-ever trip for next season’s East Asia Super League.
Marei ended with a monster 16-point, 17-rebound while Yang produced 17 markers and 7 dimes for the LG Sakers’ first Final appearance since the 2013-14 season.
Meanwhile, Gaige Prim topscored Ulsan with 19 points while Pinoy import Migs Oczon chipped 10 markers and seven dimes in a losing effort.
Changwon awaits the winner of the Seoul-Suwon KT duel with the Knights carding a 2-1 series advantage against JD Cagulangan and the rest of the Sonicboom.