GAME NOTES: GROUP B — Busan KCC Egis (0-3) vs. Meralco Bolts (2-1)

December 18, 2024 — Busan Sajik Gymnasium 

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Where to Watch 

Busan KCC and the Meralco Bolts tip off at 7:10 p.m. KST. Here’s where you can catch the game!

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South Korea: 

Watch the game through CJ Entertainment’s TVING (OTT). 

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Philippines: 

Watch the game live or on replay on CIGNAL’s One Sports (free TV), One Sports+ (pay TV), or stream it on Pilipinas Live.

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If you’re outside these regions and want to watch the East Asia Super League (EASL) games on Dec. 18, visit the ‘Watch’ tab on our website to see where you can stream based on your location.

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Get Your Tickets 

Get your tickets now at https://www.kbl.or.kr/ticket/eas-league. 

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Note: Those interested must create a Korean Basketball League website membership to purchase tickets.

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Storylines 

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Staying Alive 

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Busan KCC must win this game to keep its Final Four hopes alive. A loss to Meralco would drop the Egis to 0-4, leaving their best possible record at 2-4 and mathematically eliminating them from postseason contention.

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Group B leaders, the Ryukyu Golden Kings, are currently 3-0 and guaranteed to finish no worse than 3-3, securing their spot in the Final Four. Meralco, with a win over Busan on Dec. 18, would improve to 3-1 and also be assured of finishing at least 3-3. This would guarantee that both Ryukyu and Meralco finish ahead of Busan, claiming the only two available Final Four berths from Group B.

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Even in Busan’s best-case scenario after Dec. 18 — where the New Taipei Kings lose all four of their remaining games to finish 1-5, and Busan defeats Macau in their final matchup to tie the Black Bears at 2-4 — neither Busan nor Macau could catch Ryukyu or Meralco in the standings.

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While a win against Meralco keeps Busan’s faint postseason hopes alive, their path to the Final Four remains extremely narrow. However, a loss would seal their fate, ensuring an early exit in their inaugural EASL season.

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Nail-Biting Finish 

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In one of the best finishes of the 2024-25 EASL season, Meralco narrowly defeated Busan KCC 81-80 in their first meeting on Nov. 13. Trailing 80-77 with less than a minute left, Bolts’ guard Kier Quinto tied the game with a right-wing 3 before newly acquired import Akil Mitchell sealed the victory with a free throw.

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Mitchell, who joined Meralco on Nov. 11, delivered an incredible performance, leading his team with a dominant 33-point, 22-rebound double-double in his first-ever EASL game. KCC, on the other hand, was paced by former Oklahoma City Thunder player Deonte Burton, who posted 26 points and nine rebounds. However, Burton fouled out with about four minutes remaining, disrupting KCC's offensive rhythm down the stretch.

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Both teams meet again on Dec. 18. KCC will be strengthened by the return of former Korean Basketball League (KBL) MVP Choi Jun Yong, but it must avoid being overly reliant on Burton. Defensively, they will also need to contain Mitchell, who remains the biggest threat to KCC preventing Meralco from completing a regular-season sweep.

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Building On History 

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Meralco's victory over Busan KCC on Nov. 13 marked a historic achievement for the franchise, as their two wins set a new franchise-high in an EASL season, surpassing their total of just one win in the 2023-24 season.

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The win was also significant for Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) teams in the EASL, as it set a new record for the most wins by a PBA team in the league, surpassing last year's performance when both the Bolts and the TNT Tropang Giga finished with 1-5 records.

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Now, in their upcoming second matchup with Busan KCC, Meralco has a chance to build on that history. While it's still too early to predict if the Bolts can make the Final Four if they improve to 3-1 on Dec. 18, their chances would significantly increase. Clinching four wins would almost guarantee a top-two finish. 

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And even if Meralco ends the regular season 3-3, they could still advance through a tiebreaker. Ultimately, this away game against Busan could have a major impact on both the Bolts' season and the future of Filipino basketball in Asia.

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Busan KCC Egis’ Players To Watch: 

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#15 Deonte Burton — Forward, 6-foot-4 

• 2024-25 EASL Averages: 33.0 points, 6.3 assists, 7.0 rebounds
• 2024-25 KBL Season Averages: 17.1 points, 3.4 assists, 8.1 rebounds
• Burton joined KCC in 2024 
• Burton spent time in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2018-2020) and the Sacramento Kings (2023)
• 2018 KBL Foreign MVP 
• Burton began his professional career with the KBL’s Wonju DB Promy 
• Burton went undrafted in the 2017 NBA Draft 
• 2017 Second-Team All-Big 12 
• 2016 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year 
• 2014 Big East All-Rookie Team 
• Burton attended Marquette (2013-2015) and Iowa State (2015-2017)
• Burton is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA 

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#33 Lee Seoung Hyun — Forward, 6-foot-6 

• 2024-25 EASL Season Averages: 7.8 points, 1.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds
• 2024-25 KBL Season Averages: 10.8 points, 2.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds 
• 2024 KBL Champion 
• Joined KCC in 2022 
• Current South Korean National Team Player 
• 2017 FIBA Asia Cup Bronze Medalist 
• 1st Overall Pick in the 2014 KBL Draft 
• Lee attended Korea University 
• Lee is from Gumi, South Korea 

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#2 Choi Jun Yong — Forward, 6-feet-6

• 2024-25 EASL Season Averages: 13 points, 3.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds
• 2024-25 KBL Season Averages: 14.9 points, 4.0 assists, 8.9 rebounds 
• 3x KBL Champion (2018, 2022, 2024)
• Choi joined the Busan KCC Egis in 2023
• 2022 KBL MVP 
• 2018 Asian Games Bronze Medalist 
• 2017 FIBA Asia Cup Bronze Medalist 
• Choi played for the Seoul SK Knights (2016-2023)
• Choi was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 KBL Draft 
• Choi attended Yonsei University 
• Choi is from Daegu, South Korea 

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Meralco Bolts’ Players To Watch: 

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#11 Chris Newsome — Guard, 6-foot-2

• 2024-25 EASL Season Averages: 14.7 points, 3.3 assists, 2.0 rebounds
• 2024 PBA Philippine Cup Champion
• 2024 PBA Philippine Cup Finals MVP
• 2x PBA All-Star (2023, 2024)
• 2024 PBA First Mythical Team
• 2x PBA All-Defensive Team (2023, 2024)
• 2017 PBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion
• 2016 PBA Rookie of the Year 
• 2016 PBA All-Rookie Team
• 2015 PBA D-League Champion
• Joined the Meralco Bolts in 2015
• Selected as the 4th overall pick in the 2015 PBA Draft
• 2014 National Collegiate Mythical Team
• Newsome attended college at New Mexico Highlands and Ateneo de Manila 
• Newsome is from San Jose, California, USA.

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#7 Cliff Hodge — Forward, 6-foot-4

• 2024-25 EASL Season Averages: 5.0 points, 2.0 assists, 6.5 rebounds
• 2024 PBA Philippine Cup Champion
• 2024 PBA Defensive Player of the Year 
• 2024 PBA All-Star 
• 3-time PBA All-Defensive Team (2021, 2023, 2024)
• 2-time PBA Mythical Second Team (2017, 2024)
• Joined the Meralco Bolts in 2012
• Selected as the 4th overall pick in the 2012 PBA Draft
• 2011 Southeast Asia Games Gold Medalist with the Philippine National Team
• Hodge attended Reedley College (2006–2008) and Hawaii Pacific (2008–2009)
• Hodge is from Pensacola, Florida, USA 

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#19 Bong Quinto — Guard, 6-foot-2

• 2024-25 EASL Season Averages: 6.3 points, 1.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds  
• 2024 PBA Philippine Cup Champion 
• 2024 PBA Mr. Quality Minutes 
• Joined the Meralco Bolts in 2018 
• Selected as the 14th overall pick in the 2018 PBA Draft
• 2018 MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Champion 
• 2018 NCAA Philippines Mythical Team 
• 2015 NCAA Philippines Champion 

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Busan KCC By The Numbers: 

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Team History: 

• Founded in 1978 
• 6-time KBL Champions 
• 5-time KBL Regular Season Champions 
• 2023 KBL Cup Winners 

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2024-25 EASL Statistic Leaders 

• Points: Deonte Burton — 33 ppg
• Rebounds: Leon Williams — 11 rpg
• Assists: Deonte Burton — 6.3 apg
• Steals: Deonte Burton — 3.3 spg 
• Blocks: Deonte Burton — 1.0 bpg

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2024-25 EASL Results 

• 5th in Group B 
• Group stage record: 0-3 
• Game 1: 111-97 loss against Macau Black Bears (Macau SAR) — Nov. 6, 2024
• Game 2: 81-80 loss against Meralco Bolts (PBA) — Nov. 13, 2024 
• Game 3: 91-82 loss against Ryukyu Golden Kings (B.LEAGUE) — Dec. 4, 2024 

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2024-25 KBL Statistic Leaders 

• Points: Deonte Burton — 17.1 ppg 
• Rebounds: Choi Jun Yong — 8.2 rpg
• Assists: Choi Jun Yong — 4.0 apg
• Steals: Deonte Burton — 1.6 spg
• Blocks: Choi Jun Yong — 1.4 bpg

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2024-25 KBL Record 

• 5th in KBL Standings
• Record: 9-9  
• Latest Game: 74-52 loss against the Changwon LG Sakers (KBL) — Dec. 15, 2024  

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2024-25 EASL Upcoming Games 

• Home vs. Meralco Bolts (PBA) — Dec. 18, 2024
• Home vs. Macau Black Bears (Macau SAR) — Jan. 15, 2025
• Home vs. New Taipei Kings (P. LEAGUE+) — Jan. 21, 2025

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Meralco By The Numbers: 

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Team History: 

• Founded in 2010
• 2024 PBA Philippine Cup Champions

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2024-25 EASL Statistic Leaders 

• Points: Akil Mitchell — 33 ppg
• Rebounds: Akil Mitchell — 22 rpg 
• Assists: DJ Kennedy — 4.3 apg 
• Steals: Chris Newsome — 1.7 spg
• Blocks: Chris Newsome — 1.0 bpg

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2024-25 EASL Results 

• 2nd in Group B 
• Group stage record: 2-1 
• Game 1: 97-85 win against Macau Black Bears (Macau SAR) — Oct. 2, 2024 
• Game 2: 77-74 loss against Ryukyu Golden Kings (B.LEAGUE) — Oct. 16, 2024 
• Game 3: 81-80 win against Busan KCC Egis (KBL) — Nov. 13, 2024 

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2024-25 EASL Upcoming Games 

• Away vs. Busan KCC Egis (KBL) — Dec. 18, 2024
• Home vs. Ryukyu Golden Kings (B.LEAGUE) — Jan. 22, 2025
• Away vs. New Taipei Kings (P. LEAGUE+) — Feb. 12, 2025