ĐÀ NẴNG — Defending champion Saigon Heat kept their playoff hopes alive with a crucial 94-87 win over the Danang Dragons on Sunday at the Military Zone 5 Gymnasium.

The final regular-season meeting between the two sides carried significant weight, with the loser facing a far tougher path to the playoffs. The Dragons kept their starting line-up unchanged, while the visitors brought back Dư Minh An and Temuulen Chinges to the first five.

Both teams began with caution, focusing on careful execution. The Dragons moved well off the ball to create open looks, but their poor free-throw shooting — just one of six in the first quarter — limited their scoring. At the other end, Alfred Hollins found his range early, hitting three three-pointers to give the Heat a narrow 23-22 lead.

In the second quarter, the home side’s offensive plays lost efficiency, allowing the Heat to speed up the tempo, force turnovers and open a 34-24 gap.

Timothy Simmons fought hard to keep the Dragons close, but the Heat maintained their long-range accuracy. With solid support from bench players Võ Kim Bản and Tim Waale, the visitors extended their advantage to 58-42 by half-time.

The Dragons struggled to break through the Heat’s tight defensive rotations in the third quarter, with centre Nguyễn Huỳnh Phú Vinh anchoring the paint. Only reserves Kyan Washington and Huỳnh Andre Minh Triết provided any offensive spark.

In contrast, sharp defence-to-offence transitions helped the Heat hold a comfortable 81-63 lead heading into the final period.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Dragons roared back with four three-pointers, including two from guard Lâm Minh Duy, cutting the deficit to just 83-78. The Heat responded by tightening their defence and exploiting mismatches inside, with Chinges delivering key baskets to seal the 94-87 victory.

Hollins, who posted 20 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and five steals, was named Player of the Game. “We came out with a lot of pressure. But having been through many tough games this season, the team has grown stronger. Keeping our fighting spirit and determination high helped us get the win,” he said.

The Heat’s defence and control of the game were decisive, even though they faltered briefly in the last quarter. The Dragons, for their part, fought bravely, with both foreign imports playing the entire game and the bench making valuable contributions. Huỳnh Andre Minh Triết led the reserves with 14 points.

The result lifted the Saigon Heat (10-7) into fourth place, pushing the Danang Dragons (8-7) down to fifth in the standings. VNS