Dubai Basketball set for decisive ABA League semifinal clash after defeat in Montenegro

DUBAI: Dubai Basketball will play a decisive third game in the ABA League semifinals after losing narrowly to Buducnost VOLI in Podgorica on Sunday night with a score of 91-90, levelling the best-of-three series at 1-1.

Having opened the semifinal series with a victory in Game 1, Dubai Basketball entered the second leg with the opportunity to secure a place in the league finals. However, despite a late comeback that saw the Dubai side nearly overturn a double-digit deficit, the series will now be decided in Zenica on Thursday, May 28, with the winner advancing to face Partizan in the finals.

After a tightly contested first half, Buducnost VOLI created separation in the third quarter before Dubai Basketball mounted a spirited fightback in the final period, erasing the deficit and bringing the game down to the final possession. A potential game-winning three-pointer in the closing seconds narrowly missed, leaving the series level as the two sides head into a winner-takes-all showdown.

Dubai Basketball’s head coach, Aleksander Sekulic, said after the game: “I believe the even bigger problem than the third quarter was the first half, where we didn’t present the intensity and the level of defense we wanted. We let them feel the game, and we let them gain confidence.

“At the end, we came back from a 10 to 12-point deficit with the hustle and effort we needed to present from the start. So, we need to learn from these mistakes and fix them in the next game because it’s going to be very important how we start the game.”

Standout performances included 25 points and seven rebounds from Mfiondu Kabengele, while Dwayne Bacon marked his return from injury with 15 points. Dzanan Musa also added 13 points.

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