Due to the ongoing conflict in the UAE, Dubai Basketball now plays its home matches in Bosnia.
Dubai: Dubai Basketball head coach Jurica Golemac dedicated the team’s Round 3 ABA League victory over Crvena Zvezda to the UAE.
Last week, Dubai Basketball announced a partnership with KK Bosna, which will see the club host its upcoming home games at Zetra Arena due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The change in venue hasn’t slowed the team down. On Sunday night, Dubai Basketball delivered their highest-scoring performance of the season, defeating Crvena Zvezda 114–91.
In only their second game in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Zetra Arena, Dubai set a fast offensive pace from the opening tip and never allowed the visitors to take control of the match.
Golemac dedicated the team’s performance to the UAE, the city of Dubai, and the club’s fans. After the game, he highlighted the importance of the team’s achievements for the community the club represents..
“Every victory, every play is for the UAE, for the city of Dubai, and for our fans,” said Golemac. “As we always say: Once City, One Team. Everything we do is for Dubai.”
Dubai came out of the gate strongly, delivering an outstanding first quarter. With sharp shooting and fluid offensive execution, the home team quickly took control, led by Dzanan Musa in the opening stages. By the end of the first ten minutes, Dubai had scored 37 points and held a 37–25 lead.
Crvena Zvezda responded with a brief surge early in the second quarter, narrowing the gap to single digits. However, Dubai quickly regained control with a well-balanced attack and intensified defense, gradually extending their lead to 63–43 by halftime.
After the break, Dubai maintained dominance, pushing the advantage to as many as 30 points in the third quarter and entering the final period firmly ahead at 90–63.
With the result all but decided, the hosts maintained their offensive momentum late in the game, surpassing the 100-point mark with five minutes remaining and finishing with a commanding 114–91 victory.
Six Dubai players reached double figures in a well-balanced offensive display. Dwayne Bacon led the way with 21 points, followed by Dzanan Musa with 18, Mfiondu Kabengele with 15, Kosta Kondić with 14, Filip Petrušev with 13, and Davis Bertans contributing 11.
The team is currently competing in the AdmiralBet Top 8 phase of the ABA League, having finished the regular season at the top of the standings with 15 wins out of 16 games.
The victory over Crvena Zvezda extends Dubai’s strong run in the Top 8, with the team sitting second in the standings on 17 wins and 2 losses from 19 games, totaling 36 points.
They trail league leaders Partizan Mozzart Bet only on points difference, reflecting a consistently impressive season and a strong position in the race for the play-offs.
With this win, Dubai secured its 17th victory of the season and will next travel to face Buducnost in the upcoming round of the ABA League Top 8.
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