Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv delivered its most resilient performance of the season on Tuesday night, edging Dubai Basketball 97-95 at Coca-Cola Arena. The game was played without fans, yet it carried playoff-level intensity from start to finish.
O’Shea Brissett sealed the win with a dunk off a baseline cut with 3.9 seconds left, giving Maccabi its third straight victory and handing Dubai its first home loss. The basket capped a possession that reflected the visitors’ poise after earlier late-game struggles.
The Israeli side appeared in control midway through the third quarter, opening a 17-point lead after halftime. That advantage evaporated as Dubai tightened defensively and surged back into the game.
Dubai erased the deficit and tied the score at 95-95 on a four-point play by McKinley Wright with 27 seconds remaining. Wright’s performance nearly produced another dramatic finish, but his final long-range attempt at the buzzer came up short.
Iffe Lundberg initiated the decisive play by attacking the lane and drawing multiple defenders. His pass to Brissett led to the dunk, which stood as Brissett’s only points of the night.
Jaylen Hoard led Maccabi with 21 points, while Roman Sorkin added 17 and Lonnie Walker IV scored 14 before being ejected with six minutes left. Lundberg finished with 13 points and four assists, controlling tempo during critical stretches.
Dubai received a career night from Wright, who posted 26 points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists for an index rating of 42. Justin Anderson scored 18 points, and Filip Petrusev finished with 15, though only four came after halftime.
The turning point came in the third quarter, when Dubai managed just 14 points after leading 52-51 at the break. That lapse allowed Maccabi to regain confidence and dictate physical play.
Maccabi improved to 6-10 and will host Valencia on Thursday, while Dubai dropped to 7-9 and travels to Anadolu Efes on Friday.
