Davon Dillard (red shirt) of the home team is tightly marked by visiting defenders during a tense match at CIS Arena. The Danang Dragons secured their first-ever victory at the Saigon Heat’s home court in nearly a decade. Photo courtesy of VBA

Xuân Đăng

HCM CITY — The Danang Dragons climbed to third place after edging the defending champion Saigon Heat 85-83 in a tense and dramatic encounter at the CIS Arena, District 7.

Despite the home team enjoying familiar surroundings and coming off a confidence-boosting win, it was the guests from Đà Nẵng who held their nerve in the closing seconds to seal a fourth consecutive victory.

The match marked the first meeting of the season between the two sides. The defending champions had the psychological edge and the home crowd behind them, while the Dragons entered the contest in top form, having won their previous three games.

In the first quarter, the Heat made a surprise change to their starting line-up by fielding Huỳnh Trực Nhân. The guard, born in 2002, who previously won the Most Improved Player award with the Dragons last season, linked up well with teammates to attack the paint.

The home side created slightly more chances, but the Dragons' sharp three-point shooting – hitting five of seven – kept the game tight. The Heat led narrowly at 20-19.

The second quarter saw the visitors struggle initially against the home team’s compact defensive scheme. However, in the final minutes, Karachi Edo began finding rhythm with mid-range efforts, helping the Dragons adjust.

Their persistence in attacking the paint also forced Alfred Hollins – a key interior defender for the Heat – into his third personal foul. Despite signs of improvement, the guest side entered the break trailing 42-40.

Momentum shifted in the third quarter. Thanks to earlier efforts softening up the home defence, the Dragons’ close-range offence found greater fluency. Precise passing in tight spaces and an impactful showing from Mai Phước Thịnh allowed the guests to edge ahead.

Foreign imports Karachi Edo and Ganbat Chinbold added to the pressure, helping the visitors close the quarter with a 67-62 lead.

In the final quarter, the defending champions pushed to close the five-point gap with long-range shots, but initially failed. It was not until Võ Kim Bản stepped onto the court and made two of four three-point attempts that the Heat narrowed the score to 83-85.

With less than 30 seconds remaining, the home team forced a turnover and gained possession. But in a dramatic twist, Temuulen Chinges was stripped of the ball by fellow Mongolian Ganbat Chinbold, denying the Heat a vital equalising opportunity. The final moments saw the hosts out of position and unable to recover.

Karachi Edo was named Player of the Game with 27 points and 25 rebounds. “Our win came from shutting down their main scorer, Davon Dillard, and playing as a team. Everyone did their part to reach this shared goal. We’ll carry this spirit into the rematch,” Edo said.

The Dragons outperformed the home team in both three-point shooting accuracy (38 per cent to 24 per cent) and rebounding (55 to 38). Chinbold added 13 points with an impressive 66 per cent from long range, while Edo dominated the offensive boards with 13 rebounds — more than the entire Heat roster’s total of 11.

Dillard led the Heat with 24 points, but as in recent defeats, the home team faltered at crucial junctures, unable to maintain composure in the closing minutes.

Following the result, the Dragons improved to a 4-2 record and moved up to third place. Meanwhile, the Saigon Heat, now 4-4, remain in fifth. VNS