Basketball

Robert Sampson of the Dolphins tries to block Anthony January (right) of the Buffaloes during their VBA match on July 29. the Buffaloes win 88-74. Photo of VBA

HÀ NỘI — Hanoi Buffaloes extended their winning streak to seven games, a record for the club and the season after beating Nha Trang Dolphins 88-74 in the VBA's 37th match on July 29 in Hà Nội.

It was sweet revenge for the host side after losing to the Dolphins 97-60 in the first stage in late June at the Cầu Giấy Gymnasium.

Right after the loss the Buffaloes brought in Udun Osakue to strengthen their forward. Since his appearance, the team has won six matches in a row.

With the support of the American player, the Buffaloes jumped fast in the ranking table, securing second place with a narrow gap between them and leaders Saigon Heat.

In the second meet on Saturday, the Buffaloes had their home support while the Dolphins didn't have Madarious Gibbs on the court, as their No 1 star was suspended.

After three first minutes, the hosts went ahead to lead 13-4, causing coach Predrag Lukic to call for an early time-out.

After a minute discussion, young defender Nguyễn Hoàng Phúc was put on the court and immediately secured a three-pointer, beginning an impressive scoring run for the Dolphins to narrow the gap to 13-12.

Dominique Tham made his mark in the next minutes, threatening the Buffaloes' basket from the three-metre line to help the Dolphins keep close with the hosts. He also forced Osakue to make his third personal foul and was sidelined.

The first quarter ended 30-28 for the Buffaloes.

In the second quarter, Sơn Minh Tâm scored an impressive three-pointer from the edge to push the Dolphins to the lead 31-30 for the first time.

But star Đinh Thanh Tâm of the Buffaloes answered with his incredible shots to level the result and lifted his team up again at 43-36.

Tham and Robert Sampson once again levelled at 46-46 for the visitors who wrapped up the quarter at 52-49.

Osakue was back on the court and helped the Buffaloes balance the score. In the sixth minute, the Buffaloes jumped to the lead 60-59 before Tâm made his mark to end the third quarter at 71-64.

In the last quarter, Tham and Sampson were exhausted leading to poor performance of the Dolphins while the Buffaloes' forwards were still in great condition. Anthony January made up a perfect show scoring from all positions. He played a key role in the Buffaloes' 88-74 win, their seventh straight win this season.

The American also picked the Player of the Game award after earning a double-double of 27 points and 13 rebounds.

The Buffaloes and Dolphins maintained the rank of second and third, respectively in the standing table. VNS