VBA 2024: Catfish secure their second place with a tense victory

Catfish win a tough game with only a one point lead against the City Wings. — Photo courtesy of VBA

HCM CITY — The Catfish continued their winning streak to secure their second place after the game against the home team, City Wings.

In the first quarter, the Catfish proactively deployed a defence zone to limit the attacks from the home team.

Their opponents quickly adapted, continuously launching shots from mid range and outside the three-point line.

With a 100 per cent shooting efficiency (7/7) from import player, Shon Briggs, the City Wings entered the match with more eagerness and took the lead 25-17.

In the second quarter, the City Wings’ attack continued to rely on Shon Briggs’s plays, causing all the home team play to be too predictable.

However, as the game progressed, the 1.98m tall player was continuously scoring crucial points. 

In addition, thanks to keeping pressure on the Catfish’s shooters, along with two three-pointers from reserve shooter Nguyễn Hoàng Tuấn, the blue team re-established an eight-point lead of 42-34.

In the third quarter, the game reversed. In the first few minutes, the Catfish’s shooters began to find their way to put the ball into the basket from the three-point line.

In the fifth minute, Dakota Zinser finished a counterattack with a beautiful three and the Catfish had a first lead of the night ( 50-49).

Although the score was level, the home team’s attack was completely outclassed when the home team repeatedly lost possession due to shot clock violation and could not find an opportunity to finish. Stuck, the home team had to fall behind 60-53.

Throughout the match, the efforts to keep pressure on the Catfish shooters left lots of spaces in the paint area of the City Wings’ side.

Striker Đặng Thái Hưng was the one who took full advantage of that, Yevgen Sakhniuk and Đặng Thái Hưng became a nightmare to the City Wings’ defence.

However, the home team’s offense still kept the score neck and neck.

In the seventh minute of the last quarter, it was the effectiveness of Shon Briggs that helped the home team to take the lead to 75-74.

From here, the two teams fell into a fierce tug of war.

With less than 30 seconds left in the clock, the score at 82-81 to the Catfish, captain Khoa Trần fouled Trương Hoàng Trung. The Catfish shooter then missed all two free throws and the ball was back in the home team’s hands.

However, Shon Briggs and Phạm Hiền Tài both missed the opportunity to finish the game. Time ran out without being able to make any shots, the City Wings had to accept a narrow defeat of 82-81.

Yevgen Sakhniuk, the ‘engine’ of the Catfish, was Player of the Game with a triple-double with 23 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. The Ukrainian player becomes the first player in VBA 2024 to achieve this stat.

After the match, Catfish coach Lê Trần Minh Nghĩa, said about the emotional victory: “In the first half of the game, we did not start well and made many mistakes. During the break, the whole team discussed and unanimously decided to have a comeback. And fortunately, we won with only one point lead. This is the beauty of basketball, when the match is dramatic right until the last shots.”

After this result, the Catfish consolidates second place with four wins, two losses, while the City Wings is still at the bottom with one win, six losses.

For the next game, both team will face the defending champions Saigon Heat at CIS Gymnasium, District 7, HCM City.

While the Catfish will face the Heat on Wednesday (July 17), the third derby will be on the Friday (July 19).

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