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Albano started the second round of the 2023-2024 professional basketball semifinal playoff against Busan KCC at Wonju Gymnasium on the 17th and contributed to DB's 80-71 victory by playing 16 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. 안전놀이터
"As I played according to my plan, the game went well. I lost the first game unfortunately, so I was more active and regained my confidence based on this. I am very happy to win the game before going to Busan," Albano said.
Albano left 12 points, three rebounds, six assists, and four steals in the first game. If you look at the surface record alone, you can say that he did his part, but if you look closely, there were not a few things that were regrettable. Only one out of five three-point shots cut the rim, and he lost his composure to Calvin Epistola's defense and committed a technical foul.
Due to the nature of the game, the defense of the playoffs tends to be rougher than that of the regular league. He has no choice but to become more sensitive to the decision. In the first game, KCC also caught the attention of fans when Jeon Chang-jin, the coach, tried to appease Choi Jun-yong, who expressed dissatisfaction with the decision.
Coach Jeon Chang-jin said, "After the first round, the general manager bitterly criticized (Choi) Jun-yong a lot. He told me not to act like that when it's a festival."
Composure was a necessary part for Albanese, who was shaken in the first game. In the second game, Albanese recovered his composure after playing matchup with Epistola. He erased what he had to express in the first game by banking on 16 points, four rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. He also made six of his free throws in the second game, although he made only one of the three in the first game.
"It is true that I was blocked by the opponent's tough defense. I accept that part. I found the answer to the defense surrounding me by two or three players. I paid a lot of attention to the part where the ball was pulled out to the outside after the breakthrough," Albano said of Epistola's exclusive defense.
"There must be a reason why we recruited Epistola from KCC. I think they are shining more in the playoffs than in the regular season. If they were more utilized in the regular season as well, they would have produced better results. I have to face this. I focused on areas that created chances outside. I didn't put in a lot of three-point shots (9/34) but I had a lot of chances. That was the answer to the game," he added.