The 2025-2026 Korean Basketball League (KBL) playoffs enter their semifinal stage on Wednesday, April 23, with the top two seeds facing off against upset-minded lower-seeded teams in a best-of-five format.
Regular season champions Changwon LG Sakers and runners-up Anyang Junggwanjang Red Boostars earned direct berths to the semifinals, even as fifth-seeded Goyang Sono Skygunners and sixth-seeded Busan KCC Egis advanced through the quarterfinals to set up the LG-Sono and Junggwanjang-KCC matchups.
Tipoff for Game 1 of the LG-Sono series is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Local time at Changwon Gymnasium, with the Junggwanjang-KCC opener set for the same time the following day at Anyang Junggjang Arena.
“The 2025-2026 LG Electronics Professional Basketball Playoffs semifinals start on April 23,” the KBL announced via official channels on April 22.
LG enters the playoffs seeking its first league championship since the 2013-2014 season, having secured the regular season title with a strong finish to the campaign. The Sakers have made the semifinals in each of the past four seasons but have yet to advance to the finals during that stretch.
Sono, making its first-ever playoff appearance as a franchise, earned its semifinal berth by defeating the fourth-seeded team in the quarterfinals. The Skygunners will look to build on the momentum of their historic postseason run against the league’s best regular season team.
In the other semifinal, Junggjang aims to return to the championship series for the first time since the 2022-2023 season, when it lost in the finals. The Red Boostars finished second in the regular season standings and have won five of their six meetings against KCC this year.
KCC, meanwhile, seeks to become the first sixth-seeded team in league history to win the championship, building on its breakthrough performance last season when it became the first fifth-seeded team to capture the title.
Both semifinal series will be televised domestically on tvN SPORTS and IB Sports, with live streaming available through the TVING platform.
The winners of the LG-Sono and Junggwanjang-KCC series will advance to the best-of-seven KBL Championship Finals, with the exact start date to be determined based on the conclusion of the semifinal rounds.
As the postseason reaches its critical phase, all four teams remain in contention for the league’s ultimate prize, with LG and Junggjang holding home-court advantage in their respective series.
Fans can follow official updates through the KBL’s website and social media channels for schedules, results, and news throughout the semifinal round.
The next confirmed checkpoint in the playoffs is Game 1 of the LG-Sono semifinal on Wednesday, April 23 at 7:00 p.m. KST at Changwon Gymnasium.
What are your predictions for the KBL semifinals? Share your thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation on social media using #KBLPlayoffs.
