Dubai Basketball extend winning streak to four games after victory over Croatia’s Cibona

DUBAI: Dubai Basketball began their busy month by registering their fourth straight victory in the ABA League at Coca-Cola Arena following a dominant 90-61 win against Croatia’s Cibona — a result that sees them edge closer to securing a play-off berth.

Following a three-week international break, Dubai Basketball were back in action on Sunday night, the first of five March games including three back-to-back, and they put on an impressive show to overcome Cibona to take their record to 16:5 for the season.

Twenty-eight seconds had passed before Awudu Abass opened the scoring with an emphatic dunk and later added to his tally with the game’s first three-pointer — a jump-shot just outside the arc. That saw the hosts take a 7-2 lead and while Cibona reduced the deficit to a single point, Dubai Basketball upped the tempo with captain Klemen Prepelic’s and Davis Bertans’ jump-shots helping the team to close out the opening quarter at 29-19.

With the home crowd making themselves heard following an entertaining first quarter, Dubai Basketball continued to find the basket, including Isaiah Taylor — with a three-pointer — Danilo Andusic and Nemanja Dangubic, as the team went into half-time with a 46-33 advantage.

Cibona would reduce the deficit to nine points early on in the third quarter, but the home team regained their composure, with Nate Mason among the players to find the basket while Prepelic’s clutch buckets sent the crowd into a frenzy.

With a 19-point advantage, the hosts added to their tally with French center Jerry Boutsiele and Taylor among the point-scorers to close out the quarter and seal their 16th win of the season.

By the time the final buzzer went, Prepelic finished as the game’s top-scorer with 14 points