Dubai Basketball pulled out a dramatic 80-76 road win over Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Friday, December 19, at the Turkcell Basketball Development Center. The result improved Dubai’s EuroLeague record to 8-9 and snapped a five-game road losing streak.
The visitors trailed for long stretches and entered the fourth quarter down seven, but a composed finish flipped the game in the final minutes. Dubai outscored Efes 28-19 in the final period after struggling offensively earlier in the night.
McKinley Wright was central to the comeback, recording a EuroLeague season-high 15 assists while scoring 17 points. Ten of those points came in the fourth quarter, including key free throws that preserved the lead late.
Davis Bertans delivered all 11 of his points in the final quarter, knocking down all three of Dubai’s fourth-quarter three-pointers. His shooting stretched Efes’ defense and created space for Wright to attack.
Dubai erased a 10-point third-quarter deficit through improved ball movement and timely shooting. Wright’s short jumper made it 76-72 inside the final minute before Efes responded with an Ercan Osmani three.
Efes had multiple chances to force overtime or reclaim the lead. After Nick Weiler-Babb split free throws to cut the margin to two, a Dubai turnover gave the hosts possession with under 10 seconds remaining.
A defensive breakdown left Jordan Loyd open for a potential game-tying three, but the shot rolled out. Dubai secured the rebound and closed the game at the free-throw line.
Dubai also received a strong interior performance from Mfiondu Kabengele, who finished with 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Filip Petrusev added 14 points and five rebounds to stabilize the offense during Efes runs.
For Efes, Rodrigue Beaubois and Nick Weiler-Babb scored 12 points each, while Vincent Poirier added nine points and three rebounds. The Istanbul side fell to 6-11 despite shooting over 51 percent from two-point range.
The win keeps Dubai one victory away from the postseason places heading into the final week of the calendar year. The newcomers will host EA7 Emporio Armani Milan next, while Efes closes 2025 on the road against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.
