Seoul Samsung's nine-game winning start ends with loss to Seoul SK

Seoul Samsung Thunders opened the 2026-27 Korean Basketball League (KBL) season with nine consecutive victories, a record for a season-opening streak in the league. The run ended on 1 November 2026, when they lost to city rival Seoul SK Knights by a double-digit margin.

SK built a lead and held it through the final quarter, handing Samsung its first defeat of the campaign and leaving the team with a record of nine wins and one loss. SK's coach said afterwards that his side had regarded Samsung as a strong opponent and prepared thoroughly for the game.

The loss mattered because Samsung's unbeaten start had drawn attention to a club that had struggled in recent seasons. Even after the defeat, Samsung stayed at the top of the league table. Their coach said the team now had to show that the nine-game streak had not been a fluke, with a game against Hyundai Mobis next. How Samsung responded to its first setback became the main question for the early part of the season.