Dubai Basketball edges Real Madrid 78-77 in EuroLeague opener with late Wright three-pointer

Decisive finish at Coca-Cola Arena

Dubai Basketball secured a 78-77 victory over Real Madrid in the opening round of the EuroLeague regular season at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. McKinley Wright scored the decisive three-pointer with 50 seconds remaining on the clock to put the hosts ahead for good. Real Madrid had several opportunities to score on its final possessions, but three-point attempts from Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot and Facundo Campazzo missed. Andrés Feliz then missed a final shot near the buzzer following a timeout called by Madrid head coach Pedro Martínez. The win gave Dubai revenge after Real Madrid defeated Xavi Pascual's side in the European Supercup semi-finals in Abu Dhabi the previous week.

First-half swings and perimeter struggles

Real Madrid began the game with cold shooting, converting only 1 of its first 8 field goal attempts and missing all three attempts from beyond the arc in the opening six minutes. Dubai built an early 15-7 advantage after Isaiah Mintz scored from the perimeter, Mfiondu Kabengele blocked a shot by Feliz, and Dwayne Bacon finished a dunk over Mikael Jantunen. Madrid responded with a 9-0 run featuring a three-point play from Alexandre Sarr and an inside basket from Jaime Pradilla, before Tornike Shengelia hit a buzzer-beater to end the first quarter at 20-16 for Dubai. Jantunen broke Madrid's perimeter drought by making two consecutive three-pointers in the second quarter to level the score at 23-23 and take a 30-25 lead. Théo Maledon added seven points and five assists while generating steals, helping Madrid build a 44-38 lead by halftime despite a late basket from Kabengele.

Second-half battle and tactical adjustments

Dubai erased the deficit immediately after the interval, scoring 14 consecutive points behind Elie Okobo, who had gone scoreless in the first half. Dwayne Bacon led Dubai's offense throughout the night, finishing with 24 points and five rebounds while attacking the paint. Real Madrid suffered inside as center Walter Tavares picked up personal fouls and spent time on the bench, allowing Tyrique Jones to score 10 points on three dunks. Madrid relied on defense and a 10-2 fourth-quarter run to reclaim a 72-65 lead behind contributions from Campazzo and Feliz. Dubai counterattacked with a 7-0 run as Kabengele, Shengelia, and Filip Petrusev fought for rebounds, setting up Wright's decisive long-range shot. Martínez rotated 12 players during the game while resting Sergio Llull, Nick Smith, Schulga, and Okeke.

Record Spanish presence on EuroLeague benches

The matchup between Martínez and Pascual also coincided with the expanding presence of Spanish head coaches in European basketball. Seven of the 20 EuroLeague benches this season are led by Spanish coaches, representing the highest total from a single nation in competition history. The list comprises Martínez at Real Madrid, Pascual at Dubai, Pablo Laso at Anadolu Efes, Álex Mumbrú at Virtus Bologna, Joan Peñarroya at Partizan Belgrade, Ibon Navarro at Crvena Zvezda, and Xavi Albert at Valencia Basket. By comparison, Serbia, Lithuania, Greece, France, and Italy have two coaches each, while Slovenia, Slovakia, and Israel have one each. Before the EuroLeague opener, Martínez described the collective mentality of his rebuilt squad following their Supercup title in Abu Dhabi.

It gives me good feelings that all the players feel important and we do not depend on just one. We are creating that culture where the team is above everyone.