Goyang Sono Skygunners' surge ended as runner-up.
Sono lost 68-76 to Busan KCC in game 5 of the 2025-2026 LG Electronics professional basketball championship final held at Goyang Sono Arena on the 13th.
With this, Sono failed in its title bid, losing the series 1-4.
The start was disappointing. Sono was shaken early in the first quarter as KCC's intense pressure and quick offense overwhelmed them. They finished the first half trailing 23-42, down by 19 points.
In the third quarter, Nathan Knight began to come alive, and Lee Jung-hyun added scoring support to mount a chase. In the final moments of the fourth quarter they closed to within eight points and sought a turnaround, but there was not enough time to complete the comeback.
Knight fought hard with 26 points, and Lee Jung-hyun also recorded 15 points. However, Kevin Kemba O only managed seven points, leaving inadequate offensive support.
Sono, which advanced to the championship final as fifth in the regular season, had to settle for runner-up after failing to clear the last hurdle.
After the game, Sono coach Son Chang-hwan said, "The players have worked very hard through nearly eight months of regular season and playoffs. They must have had a hard time with a coach who was lacking; I want to tell them I'm sorry and thankful."
He added, "This is not the end. I think of it as a new beginning. I will prepare well with the players so we can be a more impressive team next season."
This season Sono struggled in the lower ranks early on. They ran a 10-game winning streak at the end to advance to the playoffs as fifth in the regular season, and then beat Seoul SK and Changwon LG in succession to reach the club's first championship final.
Coach Son, in his first season at the helm, also produced results beyond expectations.
He said, "Honestly, I didn't imagine we would make it to the championship final. The goals were to reach the playoffs and a .500 record. The players achieved that goal, and I was truly proud. Leading the playoffs in person taught me a lot," he reflected.
Sono fell behind after dropping games 1 through 3 against KCC in the finals but succeeded in striking back in game 4. However, they lost game 5 and finished the season as runner-up.
Coach Son said, "Even when things go well, regrets remain. A perfect team is hard to come by. If you stop one player, another will break through, and if you stop that one, a different player solves it. Our players gave more than 100% against the super team KCC. I'm thankful to the players. I also want to extend congratulations and respect to KCC."
[OSEN]