Dubai Basketball wins over Partizan again and is close to the Adriatic League title
Dubai, June 6 / WAM / Dubai Basketball Club took a big step towards crowning the title of the Adriatic Basketball Association (ABA League), after defeating its guest, Partizan Belgrade, Serbia, with a score of 86-81, in the second match of the final round series, which was held today at the “Coca-Cola Arena” in Dubai.
Dubai raised its lead in the final series to 2-0, after winning the first match two days ago with a score of 99-93 over the defending champion, enhancing its chances of winning the title during its first participation in the tournament final.
The match was equal for most of its periods, as the first half ended in a 42-42 draw, after Partizan won the first period 24-20, and Dubai responded by winning the second period 22-18.
The score continued to be close during the third period, which ended with Dubai leading 68-66, before the Emirati team imposed its advantage in the fourth period and decided it 18-15, ending the match with a five-point lead.
Bosnian Dzanan Musa and Serbian Alexa Avramovic topped Dubai’s scorers list with 16 points each.
The series moves to the Serbian capital, Belgrade, where the third match will be held on June 10, and a victory for Dubai is sufficient to clinch the title. If Partizan wins, the fourth match will be held on June 12, with the series returning to Dubai for the decisive fifth match on June 16 if necessary.
Slovenian Alexander Sekulić, coach of Dubai Basketball, confirmed that the public support was one of the most important reasons for the victory, thanking the fans who supported the team throughout the match, noting that their presence gave the players a great morale boost that helped them overcome the difficulties they faced during the match.
He explained that his team did not perform at its best in the first half, especially with a number of missed opportunities and open shots, before the performance clearly improved in the second half thanks to the focus of the players and the positive energy provided by the crowd, in addition to the important addition made by the players coming from the bench.
He added that the victory was the result of a great team effort, stressing that the harmony between the players and the team spirit were among the most important factors that made the difference, praising the influential role of the substitutes in tipping the balance in Dubai’s favor during the second half of the match.
Dubai Basketball player Dwayne Bacon confirmed that the team succeeded in achieving its goal by winning the first two matches on home soil, but stressed that the mission is not finished yet, and that the next confrontation in Belgrade will be difficult for a team seeking to return to the competition.
He said that the two teams played a strong match that was characterized by competitiveness and fighting, pointing out the importance of investing in home advantage after the effort the team made throughout the season to get to the top of the standings.
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