Hồ Chí Minh City Wings fall out of playoff race

Nha Trang Dolphins (centre) causes City Wings fall out of playoff race. — Photo courtesy of VBA

HCM CITY — The final game in the regular season between the City Wings and the Nha Trang Dolphins ended with a blowout score of 92-68 for the Dolphins. 

In the first quarter, both team played zone defense, therefore most of the points come from counterattacks or free throws.

In particular, the Dolphins points mostly came from Dominique Tham, while the City Wings had a variety of options thanks to Khoa Trần’s steals and assists.

The guest City Wings temporarily took the lead at 23-18.

In the second quarter, the City Wings momentum was held back by the poor performance of core player Shon Briggs. On the other side of the front line, Dolphin shooters such as Joe Mvuezolo and Phùng Quốc Hưng found way to the basket from long-range.

Thanks to the support from these shooters, the coastal city team took a seven-point lead. In response, Briggs repeatedly tried to overcome the yellow jerseys to bring the game back to balance. Combined with Khoa Trần’s buzzer beater at the last second, the guest only took a fragile lead of 46-43.

The third quarter marked the difference between the local players on both sides. While the main players showed signs of cooling down, the Dolphins received points from Nguyễn Hoàng Phúc, Huỳnh Thanh Tâm and Huỳnh Vĩnh Quang. On the contrary, the City Wings were slowed down due to the poor performance of bench players.

Benefiting from their teammates, Mvuezolo and Tham had more space to score in the paint area. Closing the third quarter, the home team established a big lead of 70-55.

In the last quarter, the Dolphins sent Mykal Jenkins back into the game. The American player, who had been sitting out for many minutes to conserve the energy, began to exert himself.

The star’s dynamism in rebounding, dunking and even stealing the ball helped the home team maintain its advantage. On the other hand, the duo of Phạm Hiền Tài and Khoa Trần were the bright spots that kept hope for the guests.

However, with just over two minutes left and the gap still more than 20 points at 90-68, coach Lee Tao Dana accepted the result and gradually withdrew his key players.

In the end, the Dolphins ended the game with a resounding 92-68 victory.

Mvuezolo, the top scorer of the Dolphins, was the owner of the Player of the Game title with 29 points, 12 rebounds and a 40 per cent three-point shooting efficiency (6/15).

“Focusing on defense after the break helped us make the difference. Tonight, I showed one of my best performances. In addition, the team’s unity and consistency also helped the team finish with a victory,” Mvuezolo shared.

With the result, the positions of the two teams in the standings remain unchanged. However, the Dolphins (in fourth place) have the same eight victories as the Catfish (in third place), while the City Wings with two wins and 14 losses no longer have a chance to enter the semi-finals.

To buy VBA tickets, click here. — VNS