Vietnamese basketball team Saigon Heat beat Malaysia’s Westport Dragons 78-65 in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) on Sunday.

Saigon Heat vs Malaysia Westport Dragons at the ASEAN Basketball League on Sunday. — Photo courtesy of Saigon Heat

The game was played at the CIS Arena in HCM City.

With the support of fans at their hometurf, the Heat dominated the game from the opening whistle. They were ahead 20-0 after just seven minutes in the first period, ending with a score of 28-2. Trần Đăng Khoa scored 15 points for the Heat.

The visiting side continued to struggle in the next quarter, losing 20-54.

The hosts held a firm defence and maintained their lead to win 68-43 in the third quarter.

The Dragons then fought back strongly in the last period. They scored 10 points and narrowed the gap to 68-53.

The Dragons continued to cause trouble for the Heat, narrowing the gap to nine points. However, the Heat took chances in the remaining time to fix the match at 78-65.

Trevon Hughes and Khoa shone in this game to help the Heat beat the Dragons. Hughes scored 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. While Khoa put his name on the score sheet with 22 points, five rebounds and two assists.

With this win, the Heat are second in the rankings with nine wins and four losses. San Miguel Alab Pilipinas top the rankings with eight wins and two losses.

The Heat will next face Mono Vampire Basketball Club of Thailand in Bangkok on January 23. — VNS