Veteran guard Nando De Colo delivered a vintage performance on Thursday night, leading LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne to an 85-79 home win over Dubai Basketball in Round 6 of the EuroLeague.
The 38-year-old Frenchman scored 24 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, as ASVEL (2–4) snapped a three-game losing streak. His clutch shooting and composure helped the hosts erase a double-digit second-half deficit to hand Dubai (3–3) its third loss of the season.
De Colo opened the game aggressively, hitting an early three-pointer before finding Zac Seljaas and Glynn Watson for back-to-back triples. Despite his strong start, Dubai edged ahead 24–21 after the first period and maintained a 44–44 tie at halftime.
The visitors then seized control early in the third quarter. Dwayne Bacon caught fire, scoring 11 points in the frame to push Dubai to a 68–59 advantage entering the final period.
But ASVEL’s defense came alive when it mattered most. The French side forced eight turnovers and held Dubai to just 11 fourth-quarter points, turning the game around behind Watson’s relentless drives and De Colo’s poise under pressure.
With the score at 77–76 in the final minutes, Mbaye Ndiaye grabbed an offensive rebound after Armel Traoré missed two free throws and quickly fed De Colo. The veteran guard rose over the defense to drain his third triple of the night, giving ASVEL a 79–77 lead with 1:44 left.
Bacon briefly cut the deficit to one, but De Colo iced the contest at the line after drawing a foul on a deep three-point attempt. His accuracy at the stripe sealed the comeback, giving ASVEL its second EuroLeague win of the season.
De Colo’s 24-point outing came with five assists and two steals, tying him with Rudy Fernández for fourth place all-time in EuroLeague steals (367). Watson added 21 points for ASVEL, while Bacon led Dubai with 22.
ASVEL next travels to face Crvena Zvezda in Round 7, while Dubai visits Baskonia.
