DUBAI: Dubai Basketball opened its new EuroLeague campaign with a historic 78-77 victory over Spanish giants Real Madrid at a packed Coca-Cola Arena on Thursday night.
In a thrilling contest that saw the lead change hands throughout, Dubai held its nerve in the closing moments to secure a one-point victory and mark a memorable start to its second EuroLeague season.
Before tip-off, players, coaching staff and those in attendance observed a minute of silence in honor of the late Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, who passed away on Monday. Dubai has declared an official period of mourning for 10 days, during which flags across the city have been flown at half-mast.
On court, both teams produced a fiercely contested opening, with Dubai taking a 20-16 lead at the end of the first quarter. Real Madrid responded strongly in the second, winning the period 28-18 to take a 44-38 advantage into half-time.
Dubai came out with renewed intensity after the break, dominating the third quarter 25-18 to regain the lead, before the final period ended level at 15-15. The hosts held their composure in the closing stages to secure the historic one-point victory.
Dwayne Bacon led Dubai’s scoring with 24 points, while Mfiondu Kabengele and Filip Petrusev made important contributions on the defensive end as Dubai maintained its focus through to the final seconds.
Following the game, Dubai Basketball Head Coach Xavi Pascual praised the team’s performance and paid tribute to the supporters who filled the arena for the season opener.
“I was completely focused on the game, which, as I said, was a very special one. First of all, I would like to thank all the fans who came here,” Pascual said.
“I hope that day by day we can gain more and more fans. That will be the best win we can achieve this season — to make people love basketball in Dubai and feel that they are part of this project.”
Pascual added: “I am sure that the people who came here enjoyed themselves a lot, so I am very happy for them. My sincere thanks to everyone for being here with us.”
Dubai Basketball will now turn its attention to its next EuroLeague home fixture, with FC Barcelona visiting Coca-Cola Arena on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
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