The EuroLeague schedule has served up an instant rematch to kick off the season. Pedro Martínez's Real Madrid, fresh off winning the EuroLeague SuperCup last Saturday, face Dubai Basketball at the Coca-Cola Arena in the competition's opening game (18:00 CET; Movistar Plus+). Just six days ago, both teams met in Abu Dhabi in a thriller that had everything: a dominant start by the Emiratis, a Madrid comeback, and overtime that decided the final berth. Now there's no neutral court or trophy on the line, but a win that counts toward the standings.
What the Abu Dhabi Semifinal Left Behind
Madrid took the first round, though it took them time to settle into the game. Dubai's defensive versatility, switching on nearly every screen, troubled the whites, and the hosts started four-for-four from three-point range, with an excellent McKinley Wright IV, to jump out to a 16-4 lead at the 6-minute mark. Pedro Martínez had to search for solutions off the bench until he found the right combination pairing Campazzo, Feliz, and Tavares.
Madrid overcame a 16-point deficit to reach halftime tied at 43-42 and entered the fourth quarter ahead. That's when Jaime Pradilla appeared with two three-pointers, joined by two more from Luwawu-Cabarrot, but the team couldn't close it out: several turnovers gave Dubai the lead with less than a minute remaining, an off-balance three-pointer from Luwawu-Cabarrot forced overtime, and Pascual's team missed the final possession.
In overtime, Madrid controlled from the opening tip. Five points from Feliz and a three-pointer from Campazzo opened up an 88-96 lead; Okobo answered with five of his own and Wright made it 95-96, but Luwawu-Cabarrot sealed it with two free throws. Tavares finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and a 22 efficiency rating, while off the bench Pradilla and Luwawu-Cabarrot added 13 and 20 points respectively. For Dubai, Okobo finished with 24 points and Bacon with 19, though Dubai was hampered by Bacon's absence after a hard blow to the head. Madrid's biggest blemish was 22 turnovers.
Madrid Arrives with First Title of the Pedro Martínez Era
The next day, Madrid settled a small score. They defeated Olympiacos 89-93 in the final and avenged their loss to the Greeks in last May's EuroLeague final. Tavares was named MVP in a game where seven Madrid players scored in double figures, and the final basket came from Andrés Feliz in the paint.
The coach himself acknowledged the team is still a work in progress. Martínez praised his players for believing despite a terrible stretch in the third quarter, and Tavares admitted they have much to improve. In the final, Sergio Llull and Damian Jones played after being left out of the semifinal roster along with Gabriele Procida and Nick Smith Jr., the latest signing, so the Madrid team heading to Dubai should have more depth than the one that played on Friday.
Pascual's Dubai: A Project Built to Compete at the Top
The Emirati team enters its second EuroLeague season with a different dimension. In their debut, they finished 11th at 19-19 and won the ABA League with a 28-5 record, and this summer they've invested heavily: Xavi Pascual on the bench and a core of veteran players he trusts. The coach was especially focused on the arrivals of Shengelia and Walkup, two players who will be leaders on the court and in the locker room, joined by Okobo, Blossomgame, Mintz, and Diakité, for whom they paid a 400,000-euro buyout clause from Baskonia.
The Abu Dhabi tournament ended with two losses. In the third-place game, they fell 85-77 to Fenerbahce in a match where both coaches rested players with the EuroLeague start in mind. Bacon didn't appear in that game and Okobo finished fouled out. Still, Dubai made a strong impression in the third quarter: Jasikevicius admitted his team wasn't prepared for the physicality Dubai brought to the game. That same recipe—physical defense and constant switching—was what stalled Madrid for half of the semifinal.
A Relentless Week Ahead for Madrid
Thursday's game opens a grueling stretch for Pedro Martínez's side. After visiting Dubai, Madrid hosts Unicaja on Sunday the 27th at the Movistar Arena in the first Liga Endesa matchday, travels to Anadolu Efes on Tuesday the 29th, and faces Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv on Thursday, October 1st at the Arena Sofia. Four games in eight days and three road trips: managing minutes starts now.
Head-to-Head History
The official record is short and evenly split. The two matchups last season were both won by the home team: 107-93 for Madrid and 93-85 for Dubai. The Emirati victory came precisely at the Coca-Cola Arena, in a comeback: Madrid led 49-42 at halftime, but Petrusev and Musa led a 17-4 run in the third quarter that flipped the game. Now add the Abu Dhabi semifinal to that.
The keys seem clear after what we saw on Friday. Madrid must take care of the ball against one of the continent's most disruptive defenses, and Dubai needs Okobo and Wright to be as sharp as they were in Abu Dhabi to offset Tavares's dominance in the paint. It remains to be seen how Bacon is recovering from his head injury.
- Game: Dubai Basketball vs. Real Madrid, EuroLeague Matchday 1
- Date and Time: Thursday, September 24, 18:00 CET
- Venue: Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai (capacity 17,000)
- TV: Movistar Plus+