Dubai Basketball suffers home defeat to Maccabi Tel Aviv in EuroLeague

Dubai Basketball suffered their first home defeat at Coca-Cola Arena since February, falling 95:97 to Maccabi Tel Aviv in a tightly contested EuroLeague Round 16 matchup.

After building a reputation for controlling games on home court, Dubai were pushed to the limit by a visiting side that managed to execute in the decisive moments.

The game unfolded with Dubai gradually losing control of the tempo in the middle stages. Maccabi established a double-digit advantage during the third quarter, stretching the margin to 17 points after consistently scoring inside and capitalising on second-chance opportunities.

Dubai struggled to match that physicality for long stretches and entered the final period facing a significant deficit.

What followed was a strong response from Jurica Golemac’s team. Dubai increased defensive pressure, played with more pace, and steadily erased the gap. The comeback was highlighted by improved ball movement and perimetre shot-making, allowing the hosts to level the score late in the fourth quarter. McKinley Wright played a central role in the rally, including a crucial four-point play in the closing seconds that brought the game to 95:95 and set up a dramatic finish.

“The third quarter was the main difference, and that starts with me as the point guard,” said Wright. “I have to do a better job of getting us off to stronger starts in the second half. We’ve struggled in third quarters this season, and as a leader, that responsibility falls on me.”

Despite recording his strongest statistical performance, Wright remained focused on the result rather than individual numbers.

“At the end of the day, we lost the game, so the numbers don’t matter,” he added. “If we had played a better third quarter, it could have been a different outcome. The focus now is on learning from it and getting better.”

In the final possession, Dubai’s defence collapsed to contain penetration, which opened a lane for Maccabi to find a clear look at the rim. The visitors converted from close range with under four seconds remaining, leaving Dubai with one last attempt that narrowly missed at the buzzer.