Dubai Makes Last-Quarter Comeback to Win at Home Against Zadar in ABA League

1 hour ago

1 hour ago

Dubai Makes Last-Quarter Comeback to Win at Home Against Zadar in ABA League

2026-11-02T22:49+04:00

Dubai Basketball continued their unbeaten run in the ABA League with an 89–75 comeback victory over Zadar in Round 6 at Coca-Cola Arena, extending their record to 5–0 in Group B. A

fter trailing for much of the first three quarters, Dubai found another gear in the final period, with Tornike Shengelia leading the charge and Mfiondu Kabengele delivering a dominant double-double.

Head Coach Xavi Pascual named McKinley Wright, Džanan Musa, Danilo Anđušić, Tornike Shengelia and Mfiondu Kabengele in the starting five.

Zadar made the stronger start, taking advantage of Dubai's early shooting struggles, particularly from beyond the arc. Despite Kabengele's presence on the boards, the visitors established an early lead. Dubai found a spark off the bench through Davion Mintz, who brought fresh energy and knocked down the team's first three-pointer to help close the gap. Zadar finished the opening quarter ahead at 16-21.

Dubai looked to build momentum in the second quarter, with Mintz and Kenan Kamenjaš providing an important boost off the bench. Shengelia continued to battle inside, contributing on both ends as the two sides traded baskets in a closely contested first half. However, Zadar maintained their advantage, heading into the break with a narrow 35–38 lead, led by an impressive performance from Vraneš.

The visitors continued to make life difficult for Dubai after the restart, as the home side struggled to find consistency from the field. But as the game threatened to slip away, Kabengele stepped up. The Canadian centre took control of the contest, scoring eight consecutive points to spark Dubai's comeback.

Alongside Mintz, he helped shift the momentum and bring the game level at 58–58 heading into the final quarter.

With everything to play for, Dubai raised the intensity in the fourth quarter. Musa continued to find his rhythm, while the combination of Shengelia and Kabengele proved decisive on both ends of the floor. Dubai finally found their offensive flow, pulling away from Zadar with a commanding finish to secure the 89–75 victory and complete an impressive turnaround in front of the home crowd.

Kabengele was named MVP of the game after a dominant display, recording 21 points and 11 rebounds for a game-high 33 PIR. The Canadian centre once again underlined his importance to Dubai, continuing his strong form across both the ABA League and EuroLeague.

Speaking after the game, Head Coach Xavi Pascual reflected on the team's improvement as the contest progressed, "We struggled to find our rhythm, with a lot of turnovers in the first 25 minutes, but in the last 15 minutes we turned things around and played well. Shengelia and Kabengele played very well and allowed us to win in the final minutes. Now we have three important EuroLeague away games ahead of us: Bologna, Belgrade and Athens."

Dubai Basketball now turn their attention back to the EuroLeague, where they begin a demanding three-game away stretch against Virtus Bologna on Friday, 6 November, at PalaDozza in Bologna. The team will look to carry the momentum from their latest ABA League victory onto the European stage.