Latest news with #Golemac
Khaleej Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Dubai Basketball eye playoffs after emphatic win in Bosnia
Dubai Basketball head coach Jurica Golemac was delighted after the team continued their relentless push for the top of the ABA League standings with a commanding 97-88 victory over Igokea m:tel. Playing away at Laktaši Sports Hall, the team wasted no time in pinning their authority on Bosnian soil, setting a new single-quarter scoring record for the season. The win lifts Dubai Basketball to an impressive 24-5 record, keeping them firmly in the race for first with only one more round before playoffs. With just one win behind Partizan Mozzart Bet and Budućnost VOLI, a game in hand for the latter, the battle for the league's top spot remains yet to be secured. Dubai Basketball exploded out of the gates on Saturday, delivering a first-quarter performance for the record books. The team put up a staggering 39 points in the opening 10 minutes, the highest-scoring quarter by any team this season, and built an early 20-point lead (4:24) by the fifth minute. The Bosnian side struggled to keep pace, and despite an effort to come back, the home team was unable to recover from Dubai's strong start. 'We came into the game with strong focus and executed exactly how we planned.' said Golemac after the game. 'It's a great feeling, but we know we have to stay locked in and keep building toward the playoffs. The goal is to keep analysing, improving every game, and making sure we are now ready for the most crucial part of the season.' Leading the charge was Dubai's sharpshooter and ex-NBA star Davis Bertans, who put on a first-quarter show with 19 points, including a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range. He finished the night with a total of 21 points, earning him the title of Man of the Match by the ABA League. 'I felt good out there,' Bertans reflected on his dominant night. 'My teammates found me in the right spots, and I was able to sink shots early. That gave us momentum, and from there, we just kept going. Now we come back to Dubai with just one more game to go before playoffs, feeling stronger and more determined than ever.' With just one game remaining in the regular season, Dubai Basketball's focus now shifts to their final tie-up before the playoffs. A top-two finish remains within reach, hosting current league topper, Budućnost VOLI, at Coca-Cola Arena this Sunday, May 4. Set to be one of the toughest matchups this season, Dubai Basketball fans are encouraged to rally in numbers and show their players what a home court advantage is really about! Fans can secure tickets for the game on the Coca-Cola Arena website.
Al Etihad
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Al Etihad
Dubai Basketball survive Split scare to continue winning streak
23 Apr 2025 00:24 DUBAI (ALETIHAD)Dubai Basketball staged a last-minute comeback to secure a 87-82 victory over Croatian side Split for their 11th consecutive victory in the ABA League, taking their win-loss record in their debut season to an impressive 23-5. With just one home game remaining before the playoffs, the team has cemented its place as one of the standout teams of the Basketball delivered a dominant first half, outscoring Split with quick offensive blows and solid defence. Dubai Basketball's 'Latvian Laser' Davis Bertans led the scoring with 25 points from a clinical shooting display to be the hero of the night.'Our first half was very, very good,' said head coach Jurica Golemac after the match. 'We played with intent, we executed well and we were in control. But then, we thought it was finished, and Split didn't give up. We gave them the chance and the hope that they could win this game.'With momentum shifting, Dubai's rhythm appeared to falter towards the final minutes of the game. 'We started to not move the ball,' Golemac admitted. 'We missed a couple of open shots. We played basket to basket, and that's never good. They got momentum, and they were scoring tough shots – even with good defence.'Split seized the opportunity with a burst of energy in the second half, clawing back a 12-point deficit and even taking a narrow lead at one point in the final quarter. Their head coach shared his half-time message, telling his players to 'to take control of our lives – [the game] is in our own hands'.As the game tightened, Golemac made a decisive move, bringing on Nemanja Dangubić to help the team from deep in the court. The commanding forward responded immediately. 'In the end, I have to give credit to the players,' Golemac added. 'We managed. We never gave up. With defence, we won the game. And with the great help of our fans, they never gave up on us, and they gave us the extra energy when we needed it.'The last couple of weeks we had easier victories, and I think everyone expected that tonight would be the same – especially after the way the game started. But as I always say, we play for 40 minutes. Not 10, not 12, not even 38. We play for 40. 'It's hard to stay at a high level week after week,' he added. 'Now we need to analyse what went wrong, look at what we can improve, and get back to work in practice to prepare for the next game.'
Arab News
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
‘We never gave up': Dubai Basketball edge out KK Split in last-minute win
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball continues their dream debut season with a last-minute comeback, securing a 87-82 victory over Croatian side Split on Sunday night at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. This secured their 11th consecutive victory, taking their win-loss record to an impressive 23-5. With just one home game remaining before the playoffs, the team has cemented its place as one of the standout teams of the season. Dubai Basketball delivered a dominant first half, outscoring Split with quick offensive blows and solid defense. Dubai Basketball's 'Latvian Laser' Davis Bertans led the scoring with 25 points, earning the title of the night's hero after a clinical shooting display. 'Our first half was very, very good,' said head coach, Jurica Golemac, after the match. 'We played with intent, we executed well, and we were in control. But then, we thought it was finished, and Split didn't give up. We gave them the chance and the hope that they could win this game.' With momentum shifting, Dubai's rhythm appeared to falter toward the final minutes of the game. 'We started to not move the ball,' Golemac said. 'We missed a couple of open shots. We played basket to basket, and that's never good. They got momentum, and they were scoring tough shots — even with good defense.' Split seized the opportunity with a burst of energy in the second half, clawing back from a 12-point deficit and even taking a narrow lead at one point in the final quarter. Their head coach shared his half-time message, telling his players to 'to take control of our lives — (the game) is in our own hands.' As the game tightened, Golemac made a decisive move, bringing on fan favorite Nemanja Dangubic to help the team from deep in the court. The city's commanding forward responded immediately. 'In the end, I have to give credit to the players,' Golemac said. 'We managed. We never gave up. With defense, we won the game. And with the great help of our fans, they never gave up on us, and they gave us the extra energy when we needed it.' Reflecting on the team's recent run of success, Golemac said: 'This is the 11th game in a row that we are winning. The last couple of weeks we had easier victories, and I think everyone expected that tonight would be the same — especially after the way the game started. But as I always say, we play for 40 minutes. Not 10, not 12, not even 38. We play for 40. 'It's hard to stay at a high-level week after week,' he said. 'Now we need to analyze what went wrong, look at what we can improve, and get back to work in practice to prepare for the next game.'
Arab News
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Dubai Basketball peaking at the right time after win over Montenegro's SC Derby
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball will go into next week's highly-anticipated game against Partizan Mozzart in the ABA League on the back of five consecutive victories after defeating SC Derby 98-86 at the Coca-Cola Arena on Saturday night. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Head coach Jurica Golemac was pleased with his team's performance and says his players are peaking at the right time, with Dubai's playoff debut looming. 'I must congratulate my players and the fans today, who were our sixth player. I'm satisfied today because we had 23 assists and 10 steals all while playing good basketball,' he said. 'SC Derby is a very good team and had a couple of moments of momentum but we defended well from those moments.' Golemac added: 'The Partizan game is like every other game. We will prepare and practice well. What makes me happy is that all the players are healthy now and everybody is in good condition. 'But we got a lot of room to improve on and we will work hard this week before we face Partizan.' In front of a loud, near-capacity crowd, Dubai Basketball produced an entertaining performance as they overcame an early deficit to take their ABA League record to 17-5. Dubai Basketball's starting shooting guard and fan-favorite, Danilo Andusic, finished as the game's top scorer with an incredible 22 points in 22 minutes of play. SC Derby began the game with red-hot offensive intensity, marked by Andrija Grbovic's two consecutive three-pointers as they raced to a 12-6 lead. But Dubai answered right back, with Davis Bertans knocking down two clutch jump shots in traffic. Dubai would end the first quarter with a 20-19 lead. The second quarter began with an emphatic dunk from center Jerry Boutsiele, bringing the Dubai fans to their feet as the home side extended the advantage. In what some officials were calling the loudest game of the season, Dubai's fans brought noise decibels inside Coca-Cola Arena to another level after Nemanja Dangubic nailed a three pointer just before half, for a 48-39 lead. Going into the final quarter with a 76-62 lead, Dubai Basketball kept up the offensive pressure, attacking the basket to secure a 98-86 final outcome. Dubai Basketball's contest is at the Coca-Cola Arena on Monday, March 17, against the ABA League leaders and EuroLeague powerhouse, Partizan Mozzart, for a crucial game 23 clash.
