Danang Dragons (black shirt) get their win against the defending champion Saigon Heat. — Photo courtesy of VBA

HCM CITY — After 15 games, the Saigon Heat currently lead the VBA standings with 12 wins, thereby assuring a playoff spot among the league's six teams.

Meanwhile, to enter the playoff round taking place in September, the fifth place team, the Danang Dragons, needed to make a lot of effort in the remaining matches.

The match between the Heat and Dragons was held on August 13 at Hồ Xuân Hương Gymnasium. 

Both teams played ineffectively as the players were too hasty in their shots. The first quarter ended with the score 13-12 in favour of the Heat.

In the second quarter, coach David Grice of the Heat sent Tony Hoàng Tú and Nguyễn Phúc Vinh onto the court. Thanks to the ability of these players to pass the ball, the Heat gradually increased their lead.

On the other side, the trio Huỳnh Trực Nhân, Trần Minh Hiếu and Triệu Hán Minh also came off the bench. The timely brilliance of these players helped the Dragons reduce the lead to 37-30.

After the break, the Heat still couldn't find their way to net from the three-point line. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Dragons rose up with a 10-2 scoring streak to bring the match back to a 45-45 tie.

From here, both teams played neck and neck and ended the third quarter with the score 55-55.

In this quarter, the Heat also faced a big disadvantage when their main scorer, Elijah Weaver, got into foul trouble with four personal fouls.

In the deciding quarter, in the first three minutes, with Weaver on the bench, the Dragons wasted many opportunities to gain the upper hand.

However, when the star playmaker of the Heat returned to the game, the home team suddenly rose up. Accordingly, thanks to Bryan Nguyen's play, combined with Triệu Hán Minh's brave steals and assists, the "Han River Dragons" established a lead of 61-57.

Responding to his teammates' efforts, Max Allen finally spoke out to help the Dragons maintain a seven-point lead.

In the final minute, Weaver kept hope alive for the Heat with a sharp three-pointer. However, the home team's players calmly slowed down the tempo, controlled the ball and wasted time in each attack.

Courage at the crucial moment helped coach Todd Purves and his team defeat the defending champion Heat by a score of 74-69.

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