Dubai Basketball kept their hopes of reaching the ABA League Finals alive with a dramatic 100-95 overtime victory against Partizan on Thursday to take the best-of-three semi-final down to a decider on Sunday.
Partizan led by six points with five minutes left and by four with 90 seconds remaining of regulation time. But after Carlik Jones missed a potential game-winner, Dubai clawed their way back to force the game into overtime. Klemen Prepelic, who led from the front with a game-high 30 points, nailed a free throw in OT as Dubai held on to take the series back to Belgrade.
An ecstatic Dubai head coach Jurica Golemac said: "I’m very proud. We didn’t surrender, we didn’t give up. We didn’t want the season to end, and you could see that in the players – in their emotions and in their eyes.
“We played against an unbelievable opponent, a very good team. But the job is not done. We’ve got one more game to play. We need to rest, analyse, and move forward."
It was Dubai's second victory over Partizan at the Coca-Cola Arena having also beaten the Serbian team in Round 23 of the regular season. Golemac acknowledged the part the home fans played.
“Last but not least, the fans were unbelievable today – like every game – but tonight it felt like 10,000 people were inside, breathing and playing the game with us. I truly felt that they wanted to succeed just as much as we did.”
The game was a rollercoaster from the start. Partizan led in the opening minutes but it was the home side that finished the first quarter strong, taking a 29–23 lead after an excellent three-point shooting, hitting six of their first 10 attempts.
Prepelic led from the front with Nate Mason each contributing two triples in the early surge.
Despite struggling from deep, Partizan stayed competitive behind the efforts of Duane Washington and especially Frank Ntilikina, who hit three three-pointers without a miss in the second quarter.
However, Dubai hung on to a 50–47 lead at half time with Davis Bertans sinking three threes, including one at the buzzer.
Prepelic delivered a sterling performance, emerging as a constant offensive threat and one of the key reasons Dubai were able to even the series. The captain hit five shots from three, pulled down three rebounds and got two steals.
“In Game 1, we came in empty,” Golemac reflected on Monday's 102-72 defeat. “The third game of the quarter-finals [against Cedevita Olimpija] was a must-win, and after we won it, we had a let-down [Partizan].
“We came into the first game with confidence, but we weren’t ready – for the fight or for the battle.
“We gave Partizan too much space. We lacked aggressiveness and the energy we showed today. When Partizan gets hot, you can’t stop them – they were scoring from all positions.
“We watched the video and analysed it. The good thing about the play-offs is you get another chance. We got ours at home, and in the end, it doesn’t matter by how much you wini – t only matters that you put a point on the board and get the win.”
Golemac’s men will have a massive task when they face seven-time ABA champions Partizan in front of their home crowd at Stark Arena.
“That’s great. It’s unbelievable. We deserve to play in a full gym, with great fans, against one of the best teams in Europe – for the finals,” Golemac added.
“All season long, our players have approached every game with the right mindset. I’m very proud of how they refuse to surrender. Playing in that kind of atmosphere is a reward for us.
“Motivation will be higher. They’ll be under pressure, but we’re going there to play the best game of our season.”
Partizan coach Zeljko Obradovic said the defeat felt like a lost opportunity but insists his side will be better prepared for the decider in Belgrade.
“We won by 30 points in the last game. This one was very tight. It's obvious they played much better today,” he said.
“We knew they would try to be aggressive here, and they were. In the first half, they scored a lot of three-point shots. In the second half, we tried to cover that, but there were situations where we committed fouls.
“They have great shooters, and they showed that tonight. That was the first difference. If you want to play well against Dubai, you need to defend their three-point shots very well.”
