DUBAI: Dubai Basketball are now just one victory away from completing one of the greatest achievements in UAE basketball history after defeating Partizan 86-81 in Game 2 of the 2025/26 ABA League Finals.
In front of a record-breaking crowd of more than 11,000 fans at Coca-Cola Arena — the biggest game in the team’s history and the largest attendance to date — Dubai Basketball produced another memorable performance to take a commanding 2-0 lead against the reigning champions in the best-of-five finals series.
Supporting Dubai in this historical feat on Saturday night were Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid and Sheikh Mohammed bin Mansour bin Zayed.
The back-to-back home games demonstrated just how deeply the city has embraced its basketball team during a landmark season that has captured attention across the UAE and beyond.
Dubai Basketball head coach Aleksandar Sekulic paid tribute to the impact of the crowd following the game: “First of all, again, I have to emphasize the energy and the support we get from the stands. That’s something that helped us a lot today.
“I have to point that out because we were not playing our best basketball in the first half and we were missing a lot of open shots. In the second half, I think it was the energy of the fans, the focus of the players and our bench, which was amazing today. They helped us make this big run, which was enough for this very important win for us.”
Partizan made the stronger start and led 20-24 after the opening quarter before Dubai Basketball battled back to level the score at 42-42 by half-time.
The turning point came late in the third quarter. Trailing 58-61, Dubai Basketball found another gear as Mfiondu Kabengele, Aleksa Avramovic and Dzanan Musa combined to spark a crucial run that swung momentum back in favor of the home side and reignited the packed arena.
That momentum carried into the final quarter, where Dubai Basketball produced a decisive 9-0 run to open a double-digit lead. The highlight came courtesy of Musa, whose spectacular finish from behind the backboard brought the crowd to its feet and helped secure an 82-69 advantage.
Partizan attempted a late comeback, but Dubai Basketball remained composed to close out an 86-81 victory and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
Avramovic and Musa finished with 16 points each, while Kabengele added 13 points in another influential performance.
The finals now move to Belgrade, where Dubai Basketball will have their first opportunity to secure the ABA League title on Wednesday, June 10.
