DaQuan Bracey celebrates after scoring for Hanoi Buffaloes in their playoff opener against Saigon Heat at Tây Hồ Gymnasium. Photo courtesy of VBA

HÀ NỘI — The Hanoi Buffaloes battled to a hard-fought 83-79 victory over the defending champion Saigon Heat in the opening game of the VBA playoffs at Tây Hồ Gymnasium on Thursday (September 6).

Despite enjoying home advantage, the Supporter Cup on their home court and the momentum of topping the regular season with a 17-1 record, the hosts were pushed to the limit by a resilient Heat side missing key foreign player Alfred Hollins, who was sidelined with injury.

His replacement, Tim Waale, struggled early and picked up quick fouls in the first quarter, but the Heat stayed competitive thanks to inspired performances from bench players Võ Kim Bản and Huỳnh Trực Nhân.

After the opening 10 minutes, the hosts held a narrow 20-19 lead.

The Buffaloes relied on their frontcourt strength to dominate the paint, though their outside shooting faltered in the second quarter. The Heat capitalised to take the lead before DaQuan Bracey, Tamyrik Fields and Hassan Thomas combined to claw the Buffaloes back into contention.

Trực Nhân remained a reliable scoring option for the Heat, with his unpredictable drives and fighting spirit helping the defending champions overturn the deficit to edge ahead 35-34.

The visitors faced another setback in the third quarter when Davon Dillard injured his elbow and was sidelined for several minutes. Yet the defending champions continued to press hard through the defensive work of Nguyễn Huỳnh Phú Vinh and the scoring of Trực Nhân.

Meanwhile, the home side’s key shooters struggled, particularly Tamyrik Fields and Hassan Thomas, who failed to capitalise when the Heat were forced to play with five local players on the court.

The Buffaloes, however, managed to edge ahead 61-58 going into the final period.

The decisive moments came in the final minute as the Heat, boosted by Waale’s return and the inspired play of Trực Nhân, levelled the score at 77-77. The Buffaloes answered with crucial points from Bracey’s sidestep two-point shot before Fields sealed the win with two composed free throws.

Bracey was named Player of the Game after recording 30 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. “We learned from our last defeat and played smarter today. I made some big shots when it mattered, and I believe we can finish the series in the next game on the Heat’s court,” he said.

While the Buffaloes showed their star power in the closing seconds, the Heat proved their champion pedigree by pushing the league’s top seed to the wire. Trực Nhân emerged as the surprise offensive leader for the visitors with 27 points. VNS