Karachi Edo with 28 points and 20 rebounds help the Dragons maintained their dominant form at home. Photo courtesy of VBA

Xuân Đăng

ĐÀ NẴNG — The Dragons maintained their dominant form at home with a commanding 113-87 win over the Ho Chi Minh City Wings, marking their third consecutive game scoring over 100 points in the 2025 VBA season.

The home team showed no signs of slowing down, securing a third straight victory while leaving the City Wings winless at the bottom of the standings after six games. Despite changes to their starting lineup, the visitors struggled to find momentum as Danang Dragons executed their game plan with precision.

The City Wings, attempting to recover from their previous 72-101 defeat to the same opponent just two days earlier, introduced young guard Võ Duy Nguyên into the starting five. In contrast, the Dragons stuck with a winning formula that had served them well in recent outings.

The Dragons took early control in the opening quarter by penetrating the paint and converting mid-range shots. Capitalising on the lack of a true point guard on the opposing side, they applied full-court pressure, making ball progression difficult for the visitors. Their strong start saw them build a 26-17 lead by the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Dragons continued to push the pace, led by Mongolian import Ganbat Chinbold, whose three-pointers widened the gap. On the other end, Trần Quang Duy, coming off the bench, started to sync better with the frontcourt. Supported by three timely three-pointers from James Martinez, the City Wings managed to keep the deficit under 15 points at half-time, trailing 40-54.

After the break, American import Timothy Simmons accelerated the Dragons’ offence with explosive drives that destabilised the City Wings defence. When Simmons cooled off, coach Hoàng Thế Vinh turned to his bench, and rising talents Lê Hoàng Quân and Trương Văn Đại filled in seamlessly. This well-balanced rotation helped the Dragons extend their lead to 73-52.

In the final quarter, the Dragons focused on containing James Martinez, the Wings’ primary scoring threat. With the visitors’ key players fatigued, the gap widened rapidly. By the seventh minute, City Wings were down by 30 points, 72-102. The closing minutes saw reserve players finish the job, with Lê Hoàng Quân steering the second unit to a resounding 113-87 finish.

Karachi Edo was named Player of the Game after a stellar performance with 28 points and 20 rebounds. “I believe our team spirit and unity are our biggest strengths. Like tonight, I wouldn’t have had many chances to score without my teammates’ support. There’s still a lot of work ahead, but we’re improving step by step,” Edo said post-game.

Following the result, the standings remain unchanged. The Dragons (3 wins, 2 losses) sit in fifth place, while the City Wings (0-6) remain at the bottom in seventh. VNS