Hosts beat Malaysia for hopes of basketball medal

An excellent 3-point shot against Malaysia. The home team took victory with a score of 97-74 to keep their chance of winning a medal. — Photo courtesy of Viet Nam Basketball Federation 

 

Xuân Đăng

HÀ NỘI — After an 88-60 defeat to the defending champions the Philippines on May 19, the Vietnamese players grabbed a crucial victory over Malaysia to continue their hopes of winning a medal.

Unlike the poor performance against the Philippines, the Vietnamese players regained their form to control the game against the away team.

The whole team entered the match with high determination to take a victory in response to the fantastic support of nearly 2,000 home fans at the Thanh Trì Gymnasium in Hà Nội.

The consecutive 3-pointers of Christian Juzang, Đinh Thanh Tâm, and Nguyễn Huỳnh Phú Vinh gave the home team the lead from outset.

In the second quarter, the home players continued to make the crowd explode with precise 3-pointers. Even players who rarely throw long shots like Justin Young and Chris Dienker also had accurate 3-pointers to help the Vietnamese team lead with a score of 49-38 before the break.

The Vietnamese team continued to play confidently in the second half.

Phú Vinh has an excellent performance, netting 17 points, including five 3-pointers and five rebounds.

Tâm Đinh and Chirstian Juzang got themselves 15 and 19 points, respectively.

The match ended 97-74 for the home team.

With this victory, the Vietnamese team still have hopes for a medal at the Games.

Today and tomorrow, the home team will play against Indonesia and Thailand, respectively. — VNS