"Big E" Eric Frederick ( middle) had a double-double, 27 points, and 11 rebounds to help the Buffaloes get a tough win against HCM City Wing

By Xuân Đăng
HCM CITY — The Ho Chi Minh City Wings and Hanoi Buffaloes had a great match on Thursday at Hồ Xuân Hương Gymnasium, District 3 as both team played their best to get a win.

There was heavy rain last night in HCM City, but the atmosphere on the court was hotter than ever.

The City Wings had a great comeback led by point guard Khoa Trần and coach Lee Tao Dana, while the Buffaloes were led by the top player last season, overseas Vietnamese player Hassan Thomas.

The two teams started the game at a fast pace. Rookie Jimmy Nguyễn of the Buffaloes successfully launched three three-pointers, putting the Buffaloes up 22-12. 

Adding to this advantage, the Buffaloes' foreign player duo, Eric Frederick and Devin Peterson, unleashed their strength to help the away team increase the gap. 

The City Wings tried to hold on thanks to the efforts of Trần Đăng Khoa and Maurice Gordon but were still behind 33-20 after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Buffaloes continued to accelerate the tempo of the match with accurate three-point shots. 

However, the exciting momentum of coach Erik Rashad and his team was suddenly interrupted by turnovers. 

Not missing this opportunity, Shon Briggs of the City Wings continuously counterattacked to narrow the gap to only 52-59 before the break. 

Both team played neck and neck in the third quarter, and the City Wings got their first lead of the day 76-75 thanks to three three-point plays from Nguyễn Hoàng Tuấn.

In the decisive quarter, even though they had just taken the advantage, the main players of the City Wings showed signs of deterioration. 

Contrary to his opponent, Eric Frederick persistently dug deep into the area near the basket to take back the lead

In the end, the Hanoi Buffaloes protected their score advantage and finished with a 102-91 victory.

Eric Frederick won Player of the Game honours with a double-double, 27 points and 11 rebounds.

"I feel very happy to have a first win in the VBA but we need to improve on defense. This is my first time coming to Vietnam even though I have experienced many years of playing basketball in Asia. I am very happy to be here and believe I will do much better,” Eric Frederick shared after the game. VNS