Nha Trang Dolphins receive defending champions Saigon Heat

In their third home match of VBA Star X 2025 in Nha Trang City on June 19, Nha Trang Dolphins receive the defending champions Saigon Heat. This match is expected to be a tough one for the hosts Nha Trang Dolphins. However, if they can take advantage of playing at home ground and the unstable form of the visitors, Nha Trang Dolphins can make a surprise.

Nha Trang Dolphins in a home match against Hanoi Buffaloes

Up to now, Saigon Heat is the team with the best performance in this Vietnam’s professional basketball tournament (VBA). They have proved their strong competence with 5 consecutive championships (from 2019 to 2024). For Nha Trang Dolphins, Saigon Heat is always a very tough team to play against. In the last two seasons (2023, 2024), in 6 times facing each other in the qualifying round, Nha Trang Dolphins only won once and lost the remaining 5 matches. The match on June 19 is the first clash between the two teams in this year's season. In terms of strength, the defending champions Saigon Heat are rated much higher than the hosts Nha Trang Dolphins. However, coach Todd Purves and Nha Trang Dolphins players are showing high confidence and determination with 3 wins and 1 loss since the beginning of this year's season, notably 2 consecutive home wins against the defending runners-up Cantho Catfish.

Meanwhile, Saigon Heat are having problems with form; they lost 2 consecutive matches to runners-up Cantho Catfish. In the upcoming away match against Nha Trang Dolphins, Saigon Heat certainly want to stop their losing streak.

Home advantage and confidence after recent wins will be the source of motivation for Nha Trang Dolphins in the clash with the defending champions Saigon Heat. However, in order to gain points against this very strong opponent, Coach Todd Purves and his team need to be more carefully prepared than waiting for the opponents’ mistakes. This season, Nha Trang Dolphins has strengthened their attacking line-up with quality foreign players such as Jaylyn Richardson, John Fields, Munkhtur Khurel Togoo. However, the weakness of Nha Trang Dolphins' foreign players is their physical strength. In recent matches, Jaylyn Richardson and John Fields couldn’t maintain their strength in the final sets, which affected the play of the team. For example, in the match with Hanoi Buffaloes at home ground 10 days ago, Nha Trang Dolphins had a good start when they led the first two sets by 23 points. However, in the last two sets, the decline of physical strength of the foreign duo caused the home team to lose their rhythm of play, resulting in a defeat with a narrow score of 76-77.

Hopefully in the upcoming match against Saigon Heat, Coach Todd Purves will have solutions for Nha Trang Dolphins' physical problem as well as adjustments to the tactics in order to have another home win.

AN NHIEN
Translated by H.N