https://arab.news/pbutg
- A 95-89 score completes trio of back-to-back home wins, with record at 5–6 after 11 rounds
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball closed the EuroLeague double-week in impressive fashion, posting a 95-89 victory over Lithuanian side Zalgiris Kaunas in Round 11 and completing a flawless trio of back-to-back home wins.
The night began with Dubai Basketball immediately under pressure. Zalgiris delivered an explosive opening quarter, piling up 34 points and creating a double-digit gap that forced the hosts to regroup early. Gradually, Dubai Basketball tightened its execution on both ends, trimming the deficit by halftime and setting the stage for a pivotal shift.
Dubai Basketball’s head coach, Jurica Golemac, said: “We started very soft. We gave them situations where they didn’t have to work much in the first quarter to get open looks, and that’s why they scored 34 points. But this is what brought us together. We reacted, pushed our defence two or three levels higher, and in the end we managed to win because of teamwork.”
That momentum swing arrived in the third quarter, where Dubai Basketball produced its most impactful run of the game, winning the period 30-19 and taking control of the matchup. Despite that surge, Zalgiris continued to challenge, reducing the margin to three points in the final half-minute. Dubai Basketball, however, held firm defensively and managed the closing possessions with poise to secure the result.
Dubai Basketball relied on a well-distributed offensive effort. Mfiondu Kabengele led the charge with 21 points, followed by Aleksa Avramovic with 16 and Filip Petrusev with 14. For the Lithuanian side, Azuolas Tubelis posted 22 points, Sylvain Francisco added 15 along with nine assists, and Deividas Sirvydis contributed 12.
The win moves Dubai Basketball to a 5–6 record after 11 rounds, marking a solid step forward as the team heads into a demanding road test against Panathinaikos.