Dubai face Crvena Zvezda before three games on the road

McKinley Wright, Mfiondu Kabengele and Davis Bertans were given the evening off when Dubai Basketball began their ABA League title defence in Ljubljana on Sunday. Their teammates won 85 to 70 against Ilirija, allowing Xavi Pascual to leave Slovenia with a result and some of his regular players rested. Ahead of Thursday’s visit from Crvena Zvezda, that was a useful way to spend the weekend. The coming week will give the coach considerably less room between games.

Dubai return to Coca Cola Arena at 8pm UAE time on October 8 with two wins from their opening three EuroLeague fixtures. Victories over Real Madrid and Barcelona have made the home record an encouraging part of Pascual’s first weeks in competitive charge. A third would send Dubai into a sequence of away fixtures with something more substantial to build on, although the early results still leave plenty to learn about this team.

The win over Barcelona showed how quickly Dubai can change a game when their scoring comes together. They won the second quarter 29 to 12 and eventually prevailed 94 to 87, with Kabengele contributing 21 points. It was a productive evening that also required them to protect an advantage as Barcelona recovered after the interval. For Pascual, that performance offered an early example of how much Kabengele can add to the attack.

The defeat at Fenerbahçe supplied a less comfortable lesson. Dubai recovered to draw level at 61 all with 4 minutes and 47 seconds remaining, then scored only five more points in a 76 to 66 loss. Elie Okobo finished with 18 points and Kabengele collected 12 rebounds, but the recovery did not bring a winning finish. That is a specific passage Pascual can revisit before another European opponent arrives, without treating one away defeat as a settled judgment on the season.

Crvena Zvezda have a recovery of their own to continue. They enter this fixture with one win from three EuroLeague games, having beaten Anadolu Efes 77 to 72 last Thursday. Chima Moneke scored 18 points in that victory and Jordan Nwora added 12. The visitors have therefore already found a response to their difficult opening, and Dubai will face a side with recent evidence that it can win a close game.

There is a particular reason to watch what happens after Crvena Zvezda miss a shot. EuroLeague’s notes for this round list Ebuka Izundu at 3.3 offensive rebounds per game and Moneke at 3.0. Those averages come from a small early sample, but they identify two players capable of extending possessions. For Dubai, forcing an awkward attempt will only be part of the defensive work. Securing the rebound would allow them to attack again instead of spending another stretch defending the same possession.

Kabengele’s involvement in that contest should be especially interesting. He has previous experience of a productive game against these opponents ending in defeat: Dubai lost 95 to 92 in Belgrade last season despite his performance index rating of 40. The teams split their EuroLeague meetings, with Dubai winning the home game 102 to 86. Those results offer some familiarity, while leaving Thursday’s outcome open to the players and combinations available now.

Sunday also gave Pascual useful contributions from elsewhere. Davion Mintz scored 20 points in Ljubljana, making five of his nine attempts from distance, while Kenan Kamenjas supplied 11 points and eight rebounds. Dubai made 13 of 27 three point attempts as a team. Such shooting will vary from game to game, but the result gave the players outside the usual starting group meaningful work in a victory. That can matter when the same squad is being asked to compete in two leagues.

Pascual changed four members of the starting five against Ilirija, bringing in Thomas Walkup, Mintz, Tornike Shengelia and Mamadi Diakite alongside Dwayne Bacon. Okobo did not enter until the second half and played ten minutes. The selections show how widely the coach was able to distribute the work that evening. Thursday will bring different demands, but the weekend has at least given him options beyond simply sending out the same players after another full game.

The reason to keep those options ready becomes clear from the fixture list. Dubai visit Cluj in the ABA League on Sunday, October 11, then travel to Baskonia for EuroLeague action on Tuesday, October 13, and Milan on Thursday, October 15. Three away games in five days will require decisions about playing time as well as tactics. A home victory before that run would provide some encouragement, and the way Dubai achieve it could tell Pascual which combinations he can trust more often.

There will also be a broader purpose to Thursday’s game. The club has designated it Pink Night for breast cancer awareness, working with its charity partner, Al Jalila Foundation, and encouraging supporters to wear pink. The announcement describes awareness activity around the arena and the importance of early detection. It gives the home occasion another focus while Dubai pursue their third EuroLeague victory.

Pascual was appointed in July on a contract running through 2029, and there is time for his preferences to become more familiar to this group. The immediate work is easier to define. Dubai can give themselves a better chance by completing defensive possessions and finding reliable scoring when the game tightens. Sunday allowed them to win while sharing the workload. Thursday offers a chance to carry that benefit into Europe before the schedule asks them to do considerably more travelling.