Former UP Fighting Maroon Carl Tamayo is a win closer to a historic championship in the KBL with the Changwon LG Sakera.
Changwon LG Sakers continued to lean on Filipino import Carl Tamayo as they nabbed Game One of the 2024-25 KBL Finals on the road, beating the Seoul SK Knights, 75-66, at the Jamsil Students’ Gymnasium in Seoul on Monday.
Tamayo, who has been pivotal for the LG Sakers’ run so far, tallied a double-double in his first foray into the KBL Finals, finishing with a game-high 24 points to go along with 10 rebounds.
The former UP Fighting Maroon drilled four three-pointers en route to the convincing victory over the no. 1 seed, where the LG Sakers rode a momentum swing in the second canto to gain the advantage at halftime, 42-35.
Tamayo played the heaviest minutes among the LG Sakers with more than 37 minutes of action in the Finals opener.
Assem Marei backstopped the Filipino’s output with 19 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and five steals in the victory.
Jameel Warney led the Knights in the losing effort with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists.
Changwon is looking to claim its first KBL title after forging a best-of-seven battle following a sweep of Ulsan in the semis.
Meanwhile, Tamayo is seeking to become the first Filipino import to win a title both in the KBL and in the Japan B.LEAGUE.
During his tenure with the Ryukyu Golden Kings, Tamayo won the B.LEAGUE chip in 2023, albeit playing sparingly.
This time, though, Tamayo is heavily relied upon in Changwon and he will hope to show out again for his team when Game 2 commences on Wednesday, May 7.