Historic Win For Dubai Basketball On Euroleague Debut Khaleej Times

Dubai Basketball made history on Tuesday night, celebrating a thrilling 89-76 victory in the club's first ever EuroLeague game by defeating Belgrade powerhouse Partizan Mozzart Bet in front of home fans.

It marked the start of an incredible journey, not only for the team but for the city of Dubai.

Head coach Jurica Golemac was delighted with his team's performance.

“We were focused, I would say, most of the game. At one moment, Partizan came back, but with the defense we managed to get back, to take the lead, and to come peacefully to the win in the end. It is a very important win for us," Golemac said.

Dubai Basketball opened the game in style, with Davis Bertans leading the charge from long range to give the team an early eight-point advantage (18:10). By the end of the first quarter, Dubai Basketball were in full control, holding a double-digit lead at 28:18.

In the second quarter, the rhythm slowed down, but Dubai Basketball managed to maintain composure and stayed ahead at the break with a 47:40 lead. However, the start of the third quarter saw the biggest challenge of the night, as Partizan Mozzart Bet stormed back with an 8:0 run to briefly take the lead at 47:48.

That was the moment when Mfiondu Kabengele rose to the occasion. With a series of powerful plays, and with strong support from Dwayne Bacon and Džanan Musa, Dubai Basketball regained control and closed the third quarter with a commanding 68:56 advantage.

The momentum continued into the final period, as Dubai Basketball opened the fourth quarter with a 5:0 run to push the lead to 73:56. Soon after, the gap grew to 20 points (78:58), allowing the team to cruise through the closing minutes.

With this win, Dubai Basketball not only secured their first EuroLeague triumph, but also wrote a historic page in the club's journey - proving this team belong on Europe's biggest stage.

"To win at home is very important; we have a very tough schedule, but for the confidence and the knowledge that we can play with everybody if we play together, this win means a lot,” Golemac said.

The club heads to Monaco for their second EuroLeague game of the week before touching back at home base for their ABA League opener on Monday, October 6, at Coca-Cola Arena

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