DUBAI: With the playoff season fast approaching, Dubai Basketball continue to impress in their debut ABA League season with back-to-back wins, continuously establishing themselves as title contenders.
Their latest success came on Saturday night as the home side cruised past FMP Soccerbet with a resounding 84-61 victory, strengthening their position in the ABA League top three.
Dubai now have their their sights on silverware as they edge closer to the playoffs in May. Reigning champions Crvena Zvezda’s (Red Star) shock loss in Round 25 of the regular season has propelled Dubai Basketball to an unprecedented debut season standing with just five games left until playoffs.
An electrifying start set the tone for a dominant night when Ahmet Duverioglu opened the scoring with back-to-back two-pointers before Davis Bertans quickly followed up with consecutive three-pointers, giving Dubai a well-deserved early lead. Their relentless defensive pressure and physicality countered FMP’s attacking efforts, limiting the otherwise strong side that had won against Dubai on Serbian soil. By the end of the first quarter, Dubai had already established a commanding 10-point advantage.
Dubai Basketball coach Jurica Golemac commented on the big win: “I need to give the credit to the players. You know, these are not easy games to play. We were serious. We were very focused, disciplined.
“We got a great group of players with great character who are very experienced. They know that we need to do the job before the playoffs. We want to get the best position that we can get before the playoff. So, they’re all focusing, locked in.”
FMP attempted to respond at the start of the second quarter, with Filip Barna leading the Serbian side’s lineup, scoring 17 points. However, Dubai’s intensity never wavered. By halftime, the lead had stretched to nearly 20 points thanks to Dubai’s unshakeable guard Nate Mason’s impressive 18-point contribution.
With three minutes remaining, Dubai retained a comfortable 20-point lead, essentially sealing the win. However, the night’s most electrifying moment came when Filipino star player Thirdy Ravena stunned with a three-point jump shot with just two minutes left on the clock, sparking an eruption from the 2,800-strong crowd at Coca-Cola Arena.
Dubai Basketball now turn their attention to next weekend as they push to stay at the top of the ABA League standings, with a league title within reach. The team takes on Croatian team Zadar on April 6 at Coca-Cola Arena for what is sure to be another unmissable home game.
