Ahmed Bin Abdulqader ـ nabd–alhadath
● Newsigning, Wael Arakji (7 pts, 4 rebounds), made his ABA League debut to the deafening roar of the Dubai crowd.
The atmosphere reached a new height at Coca-Cola Arena, as Dubai Basketball dazzled their fans with an all-star caliber performance, scoring a franchise record 104 points — surpassing the century mark for the second time this season — in a commanding victory over Montenegro’s KK Mornar, taking their ABA League record to 9-3.
Dubai Basketball made a strong start with center Ahmet Duverioglu and point guard Nate Mason setting the tone early, scoring 7 points each in the opening quarter. The home team kept up the pace all night long, scoring 56 points in the first half alone. Going into the last quarter with a 78-57 advantage, the fan energy escalated into a frenzy, as Nate Mason delivered an off-the-backboard alley-oop that was slammed home by JaCorey Williams.
JaCorey Williams ended the game as the night’s leading scorer, delivering an outstanding double-double performance with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Mason also recorded his first double-double of the season, racking up 15 points, 10 assists, and 4 rebounds.
Prior to the game, fans waited with anticipation to see the debut of new signing Wael Arakji, and they got their wish three minutes into the second quarter when he stepped onto the court to thunderous applause. The Lebanese star wasted no time, scoring within 30 seconds with fans shouting: “We want Wael” and “Yalla Wael!”
The intensity only grew in the final quarter, as Wael knocked down a long three-pointer, sending the Coca-Cola Arena into a frenzy. KKMornar fought valiantly, with standout performances from Chico Mellichamp Carter Jr., who contributed 15 points, five assists, and three rebounds, and Lovro Buljevic, who matched him with 15 points, three assists, and three rebounds. However, the team’s efforts fell short with Dubai Basketball’s relentless offense and fervent home-court advantage.
Jurica Golemac, Dubai Basketball head coach was thrilled with the team’s performance. He said: “The fans were again loud and gave us a lot of energy. We had a good week of practice with everyone. From the beginning, we set the tone and were aggressive, disciplined, smart and played good basketball, and had an easy win but Mornar were better than the result showed. The players were very focused and gave everything in the game.”
He also praised Arakji’s debut. He added: “Wael is a very experienced player, and we have known him before. He is very adjustable, and he only joined this week, but he got on well with the teammates, understands the system and ideas and we’re very lucky to have him. He’s going to help us a lot in the future for sure.”
Arakji, who ended the night with seven points, said he was delighted to make his debut. He said: “Everywhere I go, Lebanese fans are always with me. I’ve been here for four days, and I have been working out from 9:30 to 2:30 every day. I haven’t seen this highest level of training before. The level is very high. I’m excited for what’s to come.”
This win solidifies Dubai Basketball Club’s fourth place standing in the ABA League. Adding to the game’s festive atmosphere, stunning performances by dancers from Global Village entertained the audience during breaks. Children and families joined in the fun, with young fans leading chants of “Yalla Dubai” as they cheered their heroes on.
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