Saigon Heat (red shirt) failed to end the Finals series on home-court. Photo courtesy of VBA

HCM CITY — The Hanoi Buffaloes overcame enormous pressure to stage a comeback and beat the Saigon Heat 97-80 at the MLC Arena, keeping their hopes of defending their VBA championship alive.

With the huge advantage of having won the first two games of the best-of-five VBA Finals series, the Heat had a chance to swept the defending champions Buffaloes and clinch the title on their home court.

The Heat kept the same starting line-up, while the Buffaloes brought Trần Phi Hoàng Long into the starting five in place of Đặng Thái Hưng.

As in their previous two encounters, the hosts opened the game with a tight defensive system, using double teams and covering spaces effectively. On offence, Brandis Raley-Ross once again led the way for the red-shirted side.

Maintaining their concentration and benefiting from a late long-range shot by Nguyễn Phúc Vinh, the Heat established an early 28-18 lead.

The hosts continued to control the game in the second quarter, with Raley-Ross using his experience to draw fouls and create scoring opportunities.

On the other side, the Buffaloes' trio of Ariyon Williams, AJ Bramah and Amir Gholizadeh worked hard to find openings in the Heat's defence and cut the deficit.

With the Buffaloes' key players showing their determination, along with a strong effort for a contested rebound from Trần Phi Hoàng Long, the visitors reduced the gap to seven points at 51-44 by halftime.

Inspired by their strong finish to the second quarter, the Buffaloes continued to fight back to keep their hopes of defending their VBA championship alive after the break. Hoàng Long once again provided an important boost as the visitors to level the game at 53-53.

From there, the two sides traded blows in a tense contest, with the margin remaining within five points for much of the quarter.

With the game finely balanced, Lian Ramiro stepped up for the Buffaloes. The guard scored eight points late in the quarter to help the visitors move ahead 68-67 heading into the final period.

The fourth quarter proved decisive. With the Heat's two key defenders, Nyang Wek and Tim Waale, both having committed four personal fouls, AJ Bramah took advantage of the situation and attacked the paint aggressively.

His ability to penetrate the Heat's defence helped the Buffaloes establish a double-digit lead.

With seven minutes remaining and the Buffaloes leading by 10 points, Đinh Tiến Công and Ramiro took turns hitting three-pointers. Their three long-range efforts in quick succession effectively ended the hosts' hopes of a comeback.

The Buffaloes went on to complete an emphatic 97-80 victory.

AJ Bramah of the Buffaloes was named Player of the Game after recording 30 points and 20 rebounds while shooting 8-of-9 from the free-throw line.

“This important win feels great. However, we still have a lot of work to do. We will continue to stay united, correct our mistakes and fight for two more wins to defend the championship,” Bramah said after the game.

“I am really looking forward to the next Finals game. It will be an even higher-level contest.”

Beyond the outstanding performances of their key players, the Buffaloes also demonstrated impressive teamwork. Every player coached by Matt Van Pelt saw action and contributed, with Trần Phi Hoàng Long and Đinh Tiến Công scoring 10 points apiece and making a positive impact on the game.

For the Heat, a significant disadvantage on the boards – 33 rebounds compared with the Buffaloes' 53 – combined with a lack of scoring explosiveness saw the former VBA champions miss the opportunity to lift the trophy in front of their home crowd.

The next game will be held at Xuân Đỉnh Gymnasium on Sunday (September 27).

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