For the second consecutive season, Dubai Basketball reached the semifinals of the ABA League, following their run to the last four stage in their tournament debut last year.
The first professional team of the UAE, Dubai Basketball, booked their semifinal spot with a thrilling 84:88 win over Spartak Office Shoes in the Quarter-Final Round 2 clash at Subotica, Serbia, on Sunday night.
Having won the Round 1 comfortably (104:72), Dubai Basketball faced stiff resistance in Sunday’s clash. Backed by passionate home fans, Spartak Office Shoes put up a big fight, but the Dubai team held their nerve in crunch moments to keep their European dream alive.
Head coach Aleksander Sekulić heaved a sigh of relief at the end of the engrossing battle.
“We knew this was not going to be an easy game, regardless of the score in the first game. We knew there was going to be a big reaction from the opponents. We expected that and anticipated that,” Sekulić said.
“The players did a hell of a job. They fought all the way to the end, and we were challenged a couple of times, which showed the true character of the team. We managed to overcome most of the challenges, and that’s a great step for the semifinals.”
One of the big stars of the night was Mfiondu Kabengele. The giant Canadian rose to the occasion with another fantastic performance, delivering 14 points and 12 rebounds.
While the former NBA star helped Dubai Basketball with his all-around skills, Džanan Musa delivered a stunning 27-point performance.
The Bosnian shooting guard, a two-time Euro League winner (2021 with Anadolu Efes SK and 2023 with Real Madrid), also came up with five rebounds and six assists.
The 2-0 victory in the best-of-three Quarter-Finals series has now earned Dubai Basketball a semifinal encounter with either Budućnost VOLI or U-BT Cluj-Napoca.
The second straight ABA League semifinal appearance is an incredible achievement for a new team which has been unable to play its home matches at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai due to the Middle East conflict.
Dubai Basketball also finished 11th in their first EuroLeague campaign, narrowly missing out on a play-in berth.
The first team from the Gulf region to compete in the EuroLeague, Dubai Basketball will make history if they go on to become the first Asian club to win the ABA League.
Source: Khaleej Times