Dubai Basketball lose Game 3 of ABA League Finals
Despite the defeat, Dubai remain just one win away from becoming champions
Dubai: Dubai Basketball suffered a 84:70 defeat to Partizan in Game 3 of the 2025/26 ABA League Finals on Wednesday night in Belgrade.
Despite the result, Dubai Basketball continues to lead the best-of-five Finals series 2-1 and remains just one victory away from securing the first ABA League title in club history.
After playing two games on home soil at the Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai Basketball travelled to Serbia for Game 3.
The opening quarter proved decisive, with the home side making a strong start and building an early advantage.
Dubai Basketball struggled to establish their offensive rhythm in the opening ten minutes, scoring 10 points as Partizan took a 23:10 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The visitors continued to battle throughout the contest and showed resilience despite trailing for much of the evening.
Dubai repeatedly looked to close the gap, cutting the deficit to single digits on several occasions, but Partizan responded with timely baskets to maintain control of the game and ultimately force a Game 4.
“For sure, we need to think about the next game like it is the most important game of the season, which it is,” said Dubai coach Aleksander Sekulić.
“We are ready tactically, but we will also have to read what Partizan are going to do in front of their home crowd and on their home court.
“We are ready to adjust to certain things if needed. But most importantly, it is going to be about controlling turnovers and playing team defence.”
The Finals series now returns to Belgrade for Game 4 on Friday, 12 June, where Dubai Basketball will have another opportunity to secure the victory needed to bring the ABA League trophy to Dubai and complete a historic season.
