Xuân Đăng

HÀ NỘI — The Hanoi Buffaloes solidified their position at the top of the VBA standings following a dramatic 92-87 comeback victory over the Nha Trang Dolphins to conclude Week 8 of the regular season.

It marked the third and final encounter between the two sides this season, and once again, the Buffaloes emerged victorious.

The Dolphins made adjustments to their starting line-up, fielding Huỳnh Vĩnh Quang and Võ Huy Hoàn from the outset, while the home team suffered a setback as Vietnamese-origin star Hassan Thomas sat out. His absence opened the door for Filipino import Lian Ramiro to take his place.

In the opening quarter, the visitors capitalised on the Buffaloes’ weakened paint defence. Jaylyn Richardson led the charge with an impressive 80 per cent shooting efficiency near the rim. Meanwhile, the Buffaloes struggled offensively, going scoreless from long range despite attempting ten three-pointers. They ended the first period trailing by 17 points, 25-8.

However, the hosts responded strongly in the second quarter. Tightening their defence and executing swift counter-attacks, the Buffaloes began chipping away at the lead.

Guard DaQuan Bracey found his rhythm from beyond the arc, helping reduce the deficit to just three points. Despite the Dolphins calling upon Nguyễn Thành Đạt and Nguyễn Phúc Vinh from the bench, the visitors saw their lead cut to 45-41 by halftime.

The third quarter began with a swift equaliser by the home team. Within two minutes, the game was tied 45-45, setting up a tense back-and-forth affair. With just over 10 seconds remaining and the score level at 62-62, veteran Đinh Thanh Tâm intercepted a pass and drove coast-to-coast under pressure, finishing through contact and converting a free throw to give the Buffaloes a 65-62 advantage heading into the final frame.

In the fourth quarter, the Buffaloes continued to receive meaningful contributions from reserves Trần Phi Hoàng Long and Tô Ngọc Khánh. On the other side, Nguyễn Phúc Vinh kept the Dolphins in the contest with three crucial three-pointers. But as time wore on, the home team’s superior bench depth and physical conditioning began to tell. While the Buffaloes rotated their main scorers to maintain intensity, the Dolphins relied heavily on individual brilliance from Richardson.

With a more balanced offensive spread, the Buffaloes sealed the 92-87 win, marking their ninth consecutive victory of the season.

Star forward Tamyrik Fields was named Player of the Game after a dominant performance, registering 38 points and 22 rebounds. “This was a tough game and we only won by a narrow margin. I truly appreciate the support from the fans—they showed up and lifted us. We’ll continue fighting hard to deliver more victories,” said Fields.

Despite missing a key player, the Buffaloes once again demonstrated why they possess one of the deepest rosters in the league, maintaining their perfect record under head coach Matt Van Pelt.

As for the Nha Trang Dolphins, the visitors, led by head coach Todd Purves, put on a commendable performance. Though the result slipped from their grasp, they managed to challenge the league leaders throughout the match, with Richardson finishing as the top scorer for his side with 32 points.

Following this result, both teams remain in their respective positions on the leaderboard: the Buffaloes in first with a 9-0 record, and the Dolphins in fourth place at 4-5. — VNS