Dubai Basketball aim for comeback with home crowd behind them in semi-finals return leg

Dubai: They’ve stunned seasoned teams, beaten the giants once, and made history as debutants — but Monday night was a reality check.

Dubai Basketball’s dream run in the ABA League hit a roadblock in Belgrade, as Partizan Mozzart Bet handed them a crushing 102—72 defeat in the semi-final first leg. Now, Dubai must regroup and rely on home comforts to keep their fairytale alive.

One of the ABA League’s most decorated clubs, Partizan Mozzart Bet brought their full weight to bear at a packed Stark Arena. The seven-time champions raced ahead early and controlled the tempo throughout, turning the opening leg into a showcase of their pedigree and depth.

Dubai had opened the scoring through Davis Bertans, but the early momentum was quickly snatched away. Partizan surged to an eight-point lead by the end of the first quarter and never looked back.

Sterling Brown led the charge with 21 points, while Partizan’s lethal 53 per cent success rate from beyond the arc — including 35 total field goals — left little room for a Dubai response. It was a statement win by a team familiar with the biggest stages in European basketball.

Despite the margin, Dubai Basketball’s debut season remains one of the league’s biggest stories. In their very first campaign, they’ve reached the semi-finals — and remain the only new club to have beaten Partizan this year.

“The better team won today,” admitted head coach Jurica Golemac. “We lost possession too easily and committed too many turnovers to stay competitive at this level. But this team has character, and we’ve already proven we can compete with the best — including a win over Partizan at home. We’ll go back, analyse the game, regroup, and come out stronger.”

With the return leg set for Thursday, May 29, at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai will need more than just tactics to overturn the 30-point deficit — they’ll need belief.

“We need our fans more than ever,” Golemac said. “Their energy and support at Coca-Cola Arena can make a real difference. We’re proud of how far we’ve come, but we’re not done yet — and we want to take this journey forward with the whole city behind us.”

For a team that has broken ground with every game, the next challenge might be their toughest yet. But if this season has proven anything, it’s that Dubai Basketball don’t back down easily.

On Thursday, they’ll step onto their home court with history on the line — and a city ready to roar them forward.