Nguyễn Anh Kiệt ( right) celebrated with his teammates after the game winner shot. The Heat reach the VBA Final 2026 against the Hanoi Buffaloes. — Photo courtesy of VBA

Xuân Đăng

KHÁNH HÒA — The Saigon Heat edged past the Nha Trang Dolphins 77–75 in a thrilling playoff game at the Khánh Hòa Provincial Sports Hall on Thursday (September 10).

With their first playoff win, the Heat are now within touching distance of eliminating the Dolphins and securing a place in the final. For the crucial game, both teams kept the same starting line-ups as in their first encounter.

In the first quarter, as in their meeting several days earlier, the host Dolphins struggled against the Heat’s “twin towers” Nguyễn Huỳnh Phú Vinh and Nyang Wek. Finding it difficult to penetrate the paint, the “Út Phins” struggled to get their scoreboard moving. However, Cleveland Jackson and the Mongolian duo stepped up to help the team fight back to trail 18–20.

In the second quarter, both sides raised the tempo in an effort to break the deadlock. The visitors and hosts alike made the most of their scoring opportunities. Alongside the key players, substitutes from both teams also took to the court to support their attacking efforts. In the final seconds, Võ Huy Hoàn missed a promising fast-break opportunity, leaving the home team trailing 37–39 at halftime.

The third quarter remained closely contested for most of the period, with the margin never exceeding two points. In the seventh minute, Jamal Mayali and Brandis Raley-Ross took turns to shine, helping the visitors move ahead. Inspired by their senior teammates, Nguyễn Phúc Vinh and Huỳnh Trực Nhân also made their contributions, giving the visitor an 11-point advantage at 63–52.

In the final quarter, Cleveland Jackson led the hosts’ fightback as they gradually erased the deficit. Huỳnh Vĩnh Quang drove forward on a fast break in the eighth minute and levelled the score at 69–69.

The game then returned to a tense back-and-forth battle. With less than five seconds remaining and neither side able to gain an advantage, Nguyễn Anh Kiệt sank a three-pointer to seal a 77–75 victory for the visitors.

Brandis Raley-Ross, the Heat’s leading scorer, was named Player of the Game (POTG) after contributing 16 points, five rebounds and seven assists.

“The win was great. I have reliable teammates who are always ready to step up in important moments. We are getting closer to our goal of reclaiming the championship, and I am very excited about the first game of the upcoming finals series,” said Raley-Ross.

Although they had the upper hand for much of the game, the Saigon Heat secured the victory only in the closing seconds. Alongside the versatility of Raley-Ross and their stars, the former VBA champions also saw strong performances from their Vietnamese players.

Except Mathys Kavazian, all of head coach Vũ Thế Cang’s players took to the court and contributed to the team’s efforts. On the other side, the former runners-up produced an emotional fightback, led by Cleveland Jackson with 14 points and Chris Bryant with 19.

All VBA matches will be broadcast live on FPT Play, the league's exclusive production and broadcasting partner under a five-season agreement running from 2026 to 2030.— VNS