Dubai Basketball secured a significant victory on the road, defeating Croatia’s Cibona 102-74 on Saturday night, improving their ABA League record to 5-1.
Head Coach Jurica Golemac couldn’t have asked for a better performance as they controlled the game from start to finish in Zagreb. After Ahmet Düverioğlu made both his free-throws within the first 13 seconds, the visitors never looked back, ending the first quarter with a commanding 35-17 lead. This made Dubai one of the few teams to score over 30 points in a single quarter this season.
Cibona struggled without their starting point guards, Roko Rogić and Krešo Radovčić, and lacked the star power needed to counter Dubai’s offense. By the end of the third quarter, Dubai held a 29-point, 81-52 lead and continued to dominate, surpassing the 100-point mark late in the final quarter thanks to a JaCorey Williams two-pointer in the paint. This was the first time in the franchise’s history that they scored over 100 points.
Williams, who has scored double digits in three of six games this season, left Croatia ranked second in the ABA League in “Points in the Paint.” Former NBA star Davis Bertans contributed a game-high of 17 points, shooting 5 of 8 (62.5%) from beyond the arc. By the end of the game, Bertans was second in the ABA League in three-point shots made, behind only Split’s Jordano Antonio.
Thirdy Ravena excelled on both ends of the court, recording his first steal, assist, and rebound of the season. Ravena, who has quickly become a fan favorite in Dubai, played a crucial role in limiting Cibona to just 74 points.
The win over Cibona places Dubai Basketball tied for second in the ABA League standings, behind Partizan Mozzart, whom they will face on Sunday, November 10. Coach Golemac praised his team, saying, “I congratulate my players for playing really well. We achieved what we came for, played a great game and now we are going to analyse what we can do better and move onto the next game.”
Dubai Basketball will be back on the road next weekend, traveling to Montenegro for Game Seven against Studentski Centar Derby on Saturday, November 2nd at 10:00 pm UAE time.
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