Lee Hyun-jung scored in double figures in his Japanese B.League debut.
His Osaka Evessa team lost 79-88 to the Ryukyu Golden Kings of the B.League on Tuesday at the Okinawa Arena in Okinawa, Japan.
Lee recently wrapped up his first season in Australia’s NBL. There’s still plenty of time before the NBA Summer League comes knocking on his door. In the meantime, he plans to improve his conditioning by playing in the Japanese B.League. Recently, the news broke that he had joined the Osaka Evessa of the 토토사이트 추천 Japanese B.League.
The team he joined was in seventh place in the Western District with a record of 15 wins and 27 losses. They are far away from the playoffs. On the other hand, their debut opponent, Ryukyu, who also participated in the EASL this season, was leading the West Division with 30 wins and 12 losses.
It was a difficult time for the team to fully adjust, but Lee Hyun-joong made an immediate impact in his debut. Despite the team’s loss, it was a chance to see what he could do.
Shooting a pure field goal percentage (9-of-15) in his debut, Lee finished with 24 points, four rebounds, four assists, and one blocked shot, including three three-pointers, as part of Osaka’s one-two punch with former KBL Foreign Player MVP Shawn Long (28 points, 12 rebounds).
From the first quarter on, Lee Hyun-joong was relentless. In the first minute of the game, when Osaka was down, Lee beat the defense and drove inside to score his first points in the B.League. After the steal, he also assisted his teammate on the fast break.
Leading the team’s offense alongside Sean Long, Lee Hyun-jung was dominant in his debut quarter, even making a three-pointer. With seven points, two assists, and one steal in the first quarter, Osaka finished the first quarter down 16-26.
After the break, Lee Hyun-joong was reinserted midway through the second quarter. Upon returning to the court, she added an assist and then hit a three-pointer to keep Osaka close. After pressuring Ryukyu, Osaka ended the half with a 38-44 lead.
In the third quarter, Lee Hyun-joong stayed on the court and continued to score from the field in every quarter, capping the quarter with a layup. He missed a three-point attempt, but collected two rebounds. At one point, Osaka closed to within three points, but a turnover ended the third quarter with the score 59-66.
The third quarter was a good one for Osaka, but the fourth quarter showed the difference between the two teams. Ryukyu came out strong and gradually pulled away. Osaka went on a 12-2 scoring run after Lee Hyun-jung hit a jumper to start the quarter.
Nevertheless, Lee continued his scoring pace. He scored five points in a row with a layup and a three-pointer and never let up. With Osaka’s teammates rallying, Lee also hit a jumper to make it 24 points.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to secure the win. Ryukyu sealed the game with a decisive three-pointer, and that was the end of Lee’s B.League debut.