By Jonathan Sanfilippo
Staff Reporter
SK Knights forward Bang Sung-yoon has had several strong performances during his Korean Basketball League (KBL) career, and his game on Saturday afternoon was one of his best.
No one was able to stop Bang from scoring, as he racked up points in pretty much every way imaginable _ layups, jump shots, free throws, you name it. Even when the defense fouled him, he somehow found ways to sink shots and then made the free throws that followed.
By the time the game was finished, Bang had poured in 34 points to lead the Knights to a 90-79 victory against the Samsung Thunders at the Jamsil Gymnasium.
He made 11 of his 19 shots from the field, including 4-of-9 from 3-point territory, in addition to shooting 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. He also contributed seven rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots.
''I tried to stay calm and be patient,'' Bang said through a translator.
Scoring points in bunches is nothing new for Bang, who is 25 years old and 1.95 meters tall. He had a standout college career at Yonsei University and even played in the National Basketball Association Development League (NBDL) for the Roanoke Dazzle _ a team that no longer exists.
Since joining the KBL three years ago, Bang has averaged more than 17 points per game in every season. He earned the Rookie of the Year award in 2006 and All-KBL honors last season. This year, he's been even better, averaging a career-best 22.9 points, which ranks fourth in the league overall and first among domestic players.
His solid play has helped the Knights compile a 6-3 record heading into Sunday, putting them in a tie for second in the KBL standings, two games behind the first-place Dongbu Promy (8-1).
''I think about the team more than myself,'' Bang said. ''I try to focus on teamwork, especially team defense.''
On Saturday, the Knights were trailing the Thunders (4-5) by 11 points midway through the first quarter, before Bang made a slew of shots to help them come back. He scored 13 of his points during the first half. After the game was tied 34-all, he made a shot while getting fouled with 2.9 seconds left in the second quarter then drained a pair of free throws that gave the Knights a 38-34 lead at halftime.
''We were losing in the first quarter, so I tried to focus on defense,'' said Bang, who scored his career high of 35 points in a game against the Thunders on Dec. 31 of last year. ''We tried to come back gradually.''
The Knights sealed the win in the second half, when Bang scored the final seven points of an 11-0 run. He capped the run by nailing a 3-pointer while getting fouled and making the ensuing free throw to give the Knights a 65-50 lead with 9:31 remaining in the fourth quarter.
In addition to Bang, the Knights' Larry Smith tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Travis Garrison and Kim Tae-sul contributed 14 points apiece.
The Thunders were led by Terrence Leather, who finished with 28 points - 20 coming in the second half - and 11 rebounds. Lee Sang-min had 15 points and six assists.