Dubai Basketball stun opponents with inspiring fourth quarter comeback

Dubai: Dubai Basketball produced a standout performance in their EuroLeague debut, mounting an impressive fourth-quarter rally to beat Žalgiris Kaunas 77-65 in Round 36, keeping their play-off hopes alive.

Up against one of the league’s strongest teams, Dubai trailed by 14 points (53-39) entering the final quarter, with their top 10 hopes on the line.

What followed was a remarkable show of determination, as they outscored their opponents 38-12 in the last 10 minutes, almost equaling their total from the first three quarters.

Speaking after the game, Dubai Basketball Head Coach Jurica Golemac praised his team’s character and paid tribute to the fans, saying, “We didn’t give up, we never lost faith.

"I think defensively we played one of the best games of the season. We were locked in. This win, like every win, is for our city of Dubai and for our fans.

"We know they are following every game, that they are with us, cheering and giving us all the support and love that we feel from here.

"We are missing them. I know they miss us, and we want to come back home as soon as possible.”

The win was significant both in the standings and historically. By beating Žalgiris Kaunas, Dubai snapped the Lithuanian team’s four-game EuroLeague winning streak and became one of the few sides this season to defeat them on both home and away courts, highlighting Dubai’s rising impact on Europe’s premier basketball stage.

With a play-in spot still up for grabs and currently one place off the Top 10, the stakes were high. Securing a Top 10 finish would allow Dubai to progress to the next stage of the EuroLeague, where teams ranked 7th to 10th battle for the final two play-off positons.

Driving the comeback was Serbian guard Aleksa Avramović, who dominated the fourth quarter. He scored 12 of his 15 points in the final period, swinging the momentum firmly in Dubai’s favor and finishing as the team’s top scorer.

He received strong support from Davis Bertans and Bruno Caboclo, whose combined efforts on offense and defense helped secure the win in front of 15,000 opposing fans. The trio closed out the game with focus and intensity, allowing Dubai to maintain momentum through the final moments.

The side have only two games remaining in the EuroLeague regular season, both of which are home games to be played in Bosnia. A win in both games will be essential to secure Dubai’s spot in the EuroLeague Top 10.