LG with Nicholson traps. Samsung's first 10 wins of the season, the lone lead. Why did LG focus on Nicholson Defense, not Samsung's 3 points
Nov 12, 2025
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LG beat Seoul Samsung 95-83 in an away game of LG Electronics' professional basketball regular league in the 2025-2026 season at Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium on the 12th.
LG, which has won two consecutive games, is the lone lead with 10 wins and 4 losses. Samsung fell to sixth place with six wins and nine losses.
LG won with ASEM Marei (22 points, 17 rebounds) dominating under the basket and Carl Tamayo (34 points) scoring ability. Andrew Nicholson (27 points) struggled for Samsung. The rest of the players were sluggish.
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Samsung's one-option foreign player Andrew Nicholson has his biggest advantage in shooting. Catch the ball from the outside and deploy the attack. After the face-up, there are many options such as midjumper and under-the-goal breakthrough. In the case of 2-2, he aims for an outside 3-pointer with a pick and pop.
His shooting ability is among the best in the league. This is also why Lee Won-seok can deploy attacks while securing space under the basket.
From the first quarter, LG let go of the `Nicholson trap.' It was impressive.
The representative scene came with 4:22 left in the first quarter. Lee Kwan-hee and Nicholson played 2-2. After becoming a screener, Nicholson changed the defender to Bae Byung-joon, not Tamayo. This is how to target the mismatch. So far, it is a common partial tactic in the NBA. At this time, LG immediately switched with Maray's scram switch (a tactic to switch with a player who matches up instantaneously to overcome a mismatch). also known as a touch switch).
A defensive method to minimize Nicholson's offense. A little complicated and organized defense is important, and LG has done this well.
However, Samsung is a team of 3-pointers. To Nicholson, LG went to a double team. It was a defensive miss. Immediately, he created an open chance for Choi Hyun-min, and after passing the rim, Lee Kwan-hee also scored three points as it was after the screen. In the end, it was a 13-13 tie.
a fierce battle. LG targeted Samsung under the basket with a high-row game between Tamayo and Maray. In the end, 21-17 in the first quarter, a four-point lead.
At the beginning of the second quarter, both teams made organized movements focusing on shooters. LG succeeded in attacking by creating an open three-point shot chance for Bae Byung-joon with the promised movement. Na Sung-ho also created an open three-point shot chance as he escaped to the outside after the fake screen, and eventually succeeded. However, Samsung had Lee Keun-hui. Lee Keun-hwi, who received the Stagger screen and Kanter's exquisite handoff screen, hit the 3rd point cleanly, and Lee Keun-hwi, who perfectly captured the shooting sense, led Samsung's attack with 2 consecutive 3 points.
Nicholson was also impressive. Nicholson, who was put in the middle of the second quarter, struggled with LG's scram switch in the first quarter. However, this time it was different. Once Tamayo blocked it from the outside and set 'Nicholson Trap', he punished it with a three-point stepback after bumping.
In the second quarter, if LG takes the lead based on its under-the-goal advantage, Samsung responds with three points. 44-42, LG's lead by two points ended the first half.
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At the beginning of the third quarter, Samsung's offense using Kanter and LG's Marei stood out. It was mainly a 2-2 attack, but the content was different.
While LG focused on Maray's under-the-basket attack with 2 to 2 using Yang Joon-seok, Samsung changed its handler and created various Kanter under-the-basket attacks. Both players had very strong screens and a good under-the-goal finish. The attack efficiency was very high.
Midway through the third quarter, the offensive flow of both teams changed. As LG ran away with Yang Joon-seok's three-run shot, Samsung responded with a foul play.
Even Tamayo joined the attack. Sharp under-the-goal breakthrough, mid-jumper by fastball. With a six-point gap, Samsung's Lee Won-seok showed his true value. He succeeded in attacking under the basket on the inside protected by Maray. However, LG dribbled to the front mid-range after Jeong In-deok received a screen from Maray and connected an exquisite pass to Choi Hyung-chan on the outside. A three-point burst. LG, which gained momentum, scored as Tamayo targeted a mismatch with Choi Hyun-min. 69-60, run to nine points.
In the end, Tamayo's buzzer-beater shot under the basket in the third quarter ended with a 73-62 lead and an 11-point lead.
In the fourth quarter, Nicholson's 3-pointer gave Samsung a fresh start. Then, again, Maray scored heavily under the basket.
As Samsung continued to use Nicholson, LG's offense was blatant. All the focus was on targeting under the basket using the mismatch between Maray and Nicholson. Nicholson's shooting ability is top-notch, but his defense under the basket was not very good.
LG placed all four players on the outside and put the ball into Maray. Samsung was not sophisticated in the timing of the double team. The double team had to clearly set the timing of entering and rotate the rotation, but Samsung belatedly entered the help defense in the process of attacking after Maray caught the ball. In the end, Maray easily cut through Nicholson's defense and scored a shot under the basket. Samsung, on the other hand, was rarely able to break through the offensive path.
Nicholson was caught by LG's 'Nicholson's Trap' in the first quarter, and Lee Won-seok's shot under the basket missed. Samsung's pattern using a double drag screen neutralizes Yang Jun-seok's witty response. Samsung's guards' offense was mostly blocked by LG's tight defense.
In the end, with 4:28 left in the fourth quarter, the gap widened to 85-69, 16 points. In fact, the victory or defeat was decided here.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
