John Fields of the Dolphins dominated the paint to help his team win at their new home area. —  Photo courtesy of VBA

HCM CITY — The Nha Trang Dolphins claimed their first victory at their new home court with a hard-fought 81-77 win over the Catfish at the Khánh Hòa Provincial Sports Arena in the VBA Star X tournament.

Both teams entered the clash buoyed by opening-round wins and fielded line-ups anchored by two foreign players at the point guard and centre positions.

The home side seized early momentum in the opening quarter. Under head coach Todd Purves, the Dolphins’ guards showed agile ball-handling and consistently found space to feed John Fields, who dominated in the paint.

Despite the Dolphins’ aggressive start, the Cantho Catfish kept pace through accurate three-point shooting and quick counter-attacks. The first quarter ended with the Dolphins narrowly ahead, 25-24.

In the second quarter, Fields continued to impose his presence under the basket. By the fifth minute, despite heavy defensive attention, he had already tallied 20 points. Supported by the impressive efforts of Jaylyn Richardson and Nguyễn Phúc Vinh, the Dolphins pulled ahead 48-39.

The Catfish, led by Malek Green, struggled in the paint and were forced to rely on perimeter shots, trailing 39-48 at halftime.

The momentum shifted in the third quarter as Fields showed signs of fatigue, moving sluggishly. The visitors capitalised, tightening their defence and launching a 12-5 scoring run that narrowed the deficit to just 51-53.

However, Richardson and Phúc Vinh stepped up to regain the lead, helping the Dolphins stay in front at 66-61 going into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter saw Nguyễn Phúc Vinh shine at both ends of the court, pushing the Dolphins to a commanding 80-69 lead. The Catfish responded through Nguyễn Thanh Tùng and Dajuan Madden, cutting the gap to 77-80.

However, despite multiple chances to equalise, the visitors faltered with two missed free throws and six unsuccessful field goal attempts – including four three-pointers – in the final minutes, sealing their 77-81 defeat.

John Fields earned Player of the Game honours with a dominant performance of 28 points, 18 rebounds, and an impressive 75 per cent two-point shooting rate (12/16). “I came back to Việt Nam and VBA mostly because of Coach Todd Purves – he’s a great person,” Fields said. “And the beaches, culture, and people here truly won me over during my first visit.”

Statistically, the Dolphins outperformed their opponents inside the arc with a 63 per cent field goal rate and 45 rebounds, compared to the Catfish’s 51 per cent and 37 rebounds. Besides Fields, Richardson (25 points), Huỳnh Vĩnh Quang (8 points), and Phúc Vinh (12 points) added crucial contributions.

On the other side, Green led the Catfish with 23 points, while Nguyễn Thanh Tùng was the top bench scorer with 13. — VNS