Dakota Zinser showcased his long-range accuracy to power the City Wings to victory in the derby clash. Photo courtesy of VBA

HCM CITY - The Ho Chi Minh City Wings finally ended their 10-game losing run with a commanding 96-73 victory over the defending champion Saigon Heat at Hồ Xuân Hương Gymnasium on Sunday night (July 13).

The match marked the second “HCM City derby” of the season, and unlike the previous encounter, this time it was the Wings who dominated the court.

Having undergone a major personnel overhaul before the game, the City Wings showed renewed spirit and cohesion. Meanwhile, the Heat fielded their usual starting line-up, with two imports alongside a trio of local players - Phú Vinh, Kim Bản and Minh An.

Right from the first quarter, the home side set the tone. Forward Đậu Trung Kiên opened the scoring spree with his signature under-the-basket finishes, giving his team an early edge. The Heat struggled from beyond the arc, converting only three of 12 attempts and trailed 25-16 by the end of the first quarter.

The next quarter saw a surge from the Wings, with imported duo Dakota Zinser and Yevgen Sakhniuk displaying excellent chemistry to push the lead up to 24 points (42-18).

Saigon Heat head coach David Grice called a timeout to regroup, and the response came through sharp three-pointers from Võ Kim Bản and Nguyễn Huỳnh Phú Vinh. The defending champions cut the deficit to 11 points (49-38) heading into halftime.

Early in the third quarter, Davon Dillard tried to revive the Heat’s momentum, but his efforts were undone by a series of turnovers. Capitalising on the errors, the Wings mounted a strong counter-offensive led by Zinser and the rest of the starting unit, stretching the gap back to 77-58.

The final quarter saw little let-up from the Wings, who maintained their intensity on both ends. In contrast, the Heat continued to struggle with ball control and failed to mount any meaningful comeback. The margin grew as high as 29 points before settling at 96-73.

Dakota Zinser was named Player of the Game, finishing with a game-high 39 points, five assists and seven three-pointers at an impressive 58 per cent accuracy.

“I’m thrilled to be back at VBA and even more excited to help the team secure its first win. We’re going to keep fighting for more victories in the remaining games,” said Zinser.

Aside from Zinser’s standout performance, Sakhniuk added 27 points while Trung Kiên contributed 16 points and four steals, underscoring a collective team effort.

On the opposite side, the Heat had an off night, committing 26 turnovers. While Phú Vinh stood out with 18 points and 14 rebounds, the trio of imported players failed to make their usual impact.

Despite the result, the standings remain unchanged: the City Wings sit seventh with one win and ten losses, while the Heat hold third place with six wins from 11 games. VNS