Warney’s 38 Powers Seoul SK Past Anyang, Books Finals Spot

March 8, 2024 – Hoops Dome, Cebu‍
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The Seoul SK Knights gave the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters hope of advancing to the EASL Finals. Seoul only led by five points at halftime, but they asserted their dominance over their EASL and KBL rivals in the second half.
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In the fourth quarter, Seoul had an answer every time Anyang attempted to catch up. Anyang got within four points, but Seoul pulled away, led by Jameel Warney’s 21-point second-half explosion. 

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Post-Game Triple
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1. Jameel Warney shows why he’s the leading scorer

Jameel Warney had 15 points in the first half, but when Seoul needed him the most, he rose to the occasion. 

In the semifinals, Warney was one point shy of his EASL season scoring average (37.3 points per game), and went three-for-seven (42.9 percent) from the three-point range.

Being a threat from deep meant bringing Anyang’s bigs out to the perimeter. This allowed Seoul to grab 13 offensive boards compared to Anyang’s five. Leon Williams grabbed six offensive boards.
 

2. Seoul’s role players step up  

A majority of this game was won in the margins until Seoul stretched the lead in the fourth quarter. 

Williams’ six offensive boards was a key factor in giving his team second-chance opportunities.

When Seoul could not rely on their imports to score, they counted on Jaehyun Oh to make his three-pointers. Oh went 5-for-7 beyond the arc, shooting a miraculous 71 percent, and three other domestic players made three-pointers. Seoul’s domestic players combined for a total nine of the team’s 12 made threes.
 

3. High-octane offense 

Both teams shot over 35 percent from three-point range. 

Seoul went 12-for-28 (43 percent) while Anyang shot 10-for-28 (36 percent) from beyond the arc. 

Seoul was shooting worse (6-for-15) than Anyang (6-for-18) at halftime, but Warney commanded the defense’s attention, creating better looks for Seoul’s three-point shooters. 

Seoul had three players in double-digit scoring while Anyang had five, including Rhenz Abando, who led all bench scorers with 11 points. Abando’s status was questionable prior to the game, but his speed and athleticism awed his hometown crowd. 

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EASL Player of the Game: Jameel Warney, Seoul SK Knights
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Seoul SK Knights star Jameel Warney shined brightest under the Cebu lights, scoring 38 points and grabbing 16 boards.

His NBA experience was on full display and he proved why he is a top-tier talent in East Asia. 

Warney faces his biggest challenge yet as Seoul prepares to play the Chiba Jets or the New Taipei Kings in the Finals. 

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Quote of the day
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Seoul SK star player Jameel Warney:

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Reflecting on how his team played tonight:

“We tried our best to play defense, we played our style – had a lot of fast breaks – we had fun today, and now it’s onto Sunday.”

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Stat of the day
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Basketball games are won in the margins. 

‍Seoul SK outrebounded Anyang 13 to five on the offensive glass despite giving away three more turnovers than Anyang. 

Seoul’s ability to hit three-pointers and its two imports' ability to crash the offensive glass will significantly determine their Finals performance. 

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‍Postgame Press Conference

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