Danang Dragons suffer bitter defeat

Saigon Heat (black shirt) take a victory against the Dragon. Photo courtesy of VBA

HCM CITY —The Danang Dragons lost to the defending champion Saigon Heat by a score of 80-78.

The Dragons have been stuck in a streak of six losses and are at the bottom of the standings.

In a previous matchup, both teams had to go into overtime, but the Heat showed their champion mentality and won the final match by a score of 88-84.

In last night’s match, the Dragons had the return of captain Bryan Nguyễn after an injury, which brought improvement to the away team’s lineup.

In the first half, thanks to the creative plays of this point guard, the Dragons temporarily took a lead of 18-14.

Entering the second quarter, reserve players such as Trần Minh Hiếu and Triệu Hán Minh scored crucial points to help the away team maintain a five-point lead.

In the seventh minute, main scorer Elijah Weaver helped the Heat turn the situation around, with three three-pointers.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Nguyễn Huỳnh Phú Vinh and Jevonnie Scott brought the Heat back to a 43-39 lead before the break.

In the third quarter, after only the first two minutes, after a defensive effort, Scott had to leave the court due to committing his third personal foul. Without a core player on defense, the Heat had to fight hard to protect the lead.

Thanks to pressure from Max Allen in the paint and Marquis Davison at the three-point line, the away team narrowed the gap to 62-61.

In the last quarter, the two teams played neck and neck, and the lead did not exceed five points. With less than 20 seconds left on the clock, Bryan Nguyễn completed two free throws to narrow the score to 79-77.

However, the visitors could not win and had to accept a bitter defeat of 80-78.

Scott, the top scorer of the Heat, was the Player of the Game with 23 points, five assists and four steals.

“The recent defeat against the City Wings did not affect our morale. Honestly, the games are getting more difficult as the teams improve. They have formed their style of play and are playing more and more united. We will have to continue to practice hard and prepare carefully to ensure victory,” Scott shared.

In this match, the Heat outperformed their opponents in long-range shots and ball possession. Specifically, coach David Grice and his team had 11 three-pointers and 11 steals, more than double the opponent’s five and four.

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