The debutant in the ABA League final defeated the current champion Partizan tonight at the "Coca Cola Arena" with a score of 99:93 (29:24, 24:20, 16:22, 30:27).
The final series is played to three wins, and the next match is on Saturday (6pm) also in the Emirates, after which the series moves to Belgrade.
The match began with a minute of silence in honor of the suddenly deceased sports commentator, Edin Avdić.
The "black and whites" led 5:0 on the wings of Sterling Brown, and then 7:2. Dubai took control of the score in the middle of the opening quarter, had a plus six - 22:16, and after ten minutes of basketball it was 29:24 in favor of the hosts.
Dubai maintained its lead throughout the second period, and on several occasions had a double-digit lead (49:39, 50:40 and 51:40), only to go into the break with a nine-point lead (53:44).
At the start of the second half after Mfiondu Kabengele's point, the score was 57:45. Partizan quickly halved the deficit – 57:51.
The hosts then went on a 12:0 run for a maximum plus of 18 – 69:51 halfway through the third quarter. The guests from Belgrade did not give up, but instead came back into the match with a 15:0 run and came close to taking control of the deficit – 69:66 before the deciding quarter.
That didn't deter Aleksandar Sekulić's team, which went on a 10:0 run to once again pull ahead to a double-digit lead after a good roll by Kenan Kamenjaš – 79:66. After that, Dubai calmly brought the match to an end...
The winner's most efficient player was Džanan Musa with 22 points. He was followed by former Buducnost basketball player McKinley Wright with and Mfiondu Kabengele with 19 points each.
Na drugoj strani prednjačili su Karlik Džons sa 21 i Sterling Braun sa 20 poena. Dvejn Vašington dodao je 18, Isak Bonga 13.
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