Right from the beginning of the match, both teams chose the option of using domestic center forwards to control the area under the basket. Saigon Heat placed their trust in Nguyen Huynh Phu Vinh and Tim Waale, while Cantho Catfish arranged Dau Trung Kien and Nguyen Van Gia Huy in corresponding positions.
Taking advantage of the home field advantage and a balanced squad, Saigon Heat quickly imposed the game with a fast and diverse attacking style. The home team continuously scored points, while Cantho Catfish faced many difficulties against a tight and effective defense system. The first half closed with a 25-15 advantage in favor of Saigon Heat.
In the second half, the away team tried to improve the game with long-range shots from Nguyen Hoang Tuan and Phung Quoc Hung, but the effectiveness was not high. Saigon Heat still controlled the pace well, maintained a safe distance and continued to widen the gap, ending the quarter with a score of 47-28.
After the break, the game did not change much when Saigon Heat continued to maintain the intensity of pressing and the speed of changing states. Cantho Catfish were constantly drawn into the opponent's playing style. Foreign player Brandis Raley-Ross shined, helping the home team increase the large gap, closing the 3rd half with a score of 75-43.
Entering the final quarter, Saigon Heat actively controlled the entire game, blocking the attacking spearheads of the away team. Asian-born player Jamal Mayali played prominently, continuously scoring points and assisting, helping his team maintain a safe lead before closing the match with a 90-64 victory.
Jamal Mayali was honored as the best player of the match with 24 points and 6 assists, thereby making a great contribution to the opening victory.
Statistics show that Saigon Heat is superior in many important indicators such as finishing rate (42% compared to 32%), rebounds (60 compared to 47) and assists (20 compared to 11). The home team's newcomers also showed fast integration, while Cantho Catfish relied heavily on Corey Raley-Ross and no more individuals scored above 10 points.
The VBA 2026 season continues to be played in a home-away format with 6 participating teams, taking place from May 21st to September 30th, 2026, including the group stage, semi-finals and finals. The tournament also applies adjustments to player classification to increase competition between teams.
Full VBA 2026 season on FPT Play.
