Dubai Put in a Strong Performance Against Anadolu Efes Ahead of SuperCup

21 hours ago

21 hours ago

Dubai Put in a Strong Performance Against Anadolu Efes Ahead of SuperCup

2026-09-11T10:10+04:00

Dubai Basketball rounded out their time in Türkiye with a 79-75 victory over fellow EuroLeague competitors Anadolu Efes to take their record in Antalya to 2-2.

A strong start to the 1st quarter saw Dubai jump out to a six point lead thanks to threes by Petrušev and Okobo. After an early timeout by Efes coach Pablo Laso, Efes worked their way back into the contest behind strong moves in the paint from Dario Šarić.

After taking a 24-19 lead into the first break Dubai put their foot on the gas, pushing the lead to 11. Former Monaco guards James and Strazel led Efes' fightback with a combination of aggressive drives and crafty stepback threes, reducing the deficit to four and sending the teams into half time with the score 42-38.

Both sides ramped up the defensive effort in the third quarter which they tied 14-14, but the scoring went up a level in the fourth quarter, whetting fans' appetites for the start of the regular season. Starting the quarter 56-52, Efes again put pressure on their Dubai opponents and managed to tie the game 63-63, some good defense by Dubai let down at the last moment by allowing offensive rebounds for second chance points.

The teams went toe-to-toe in the closing minutes with a run of highlight plays – a Mike James floater, a strong spin move in the lane by Kabengele, a transition three by the Dubai big man matched by one from the corner by Malcolm. Back and forth they went, leaving the score tied at 71 with a minute remaining.

Then Dubai's backcourt took over - a one-legged running bank shot by Okobo broke the deadlock and although Efes grabbed two offensive rebounds on the next possession, they were unable to make Dubai play. McKinley Wright drew a foul on the next possession and was sent to the line, making both free throws to open up a four point lead with seconds left. The game played out with Efes fouling to stop the clock, Dwayne Bacon calmly making the free throws to complete the victory.

Throughout the game Dubai took good care of the ball, with only seven turnovers on the game and only two in the second half. They let Efes only score six points off turnovers to their 18. The Dubai bench outscored Efes' second unit 40 points to 20 with notable contributions from Kabengele (13 points) and Shengelia (11 points). The game also gave Dubai fans a first chance to see new signing Thomas Walkup, the former Olympiacos point guard coming off the bench to register a typically efficient and impactful performance, marked by five assists and zero turnovers in 17 minutes.

Croatian former NBA forward Dario Šarić led the way for Efes with 16 points and 11 rebounds, with strong support from former Monaco guards Mike James (14 points) and Matthew Strazel (13 points) who seemed to enjoy playing against old teammates Okobo and Blossomgame.

Dubai return home with a 2-2 record from their time in Türkiye and now look forward to their involvement in the inaugural EuroLeague Super Cup in Abu Dhabi on 18-19 September.