KAUNAS — Dubai defeated Zalgiris 65-77 in EuroLeague Matchday 36, completing an impressive fourth-quarter comeback at Zalgirio Arena. The team coached by Jurica Golemac overcame a 15-point deficit with nine minutes remaining and won decisively to rejoin the Play-In race for the EuroLeague.
The EuroLeague matchup between Zalgiris Kaunas and Dubai began with the Lithuanian team controlling the pace of the game. Zalgiris found good offensive opportunities and built a solid lead that appeared to be steering them toward victory in front of their home crowd. Early in the fourth quarter, the scoreboard showed a clear 56-41 advantage for the home team, which had the game under control.
However, the game took a radical turn in the final minutes. Dubai responded with a spectacular 14-2 run, quickly cutting the deficit and completely changing the momentum of the contest. From that point on, Jurica Golemac's team took control of the game and delivered a devastating fourth quarter.
The star of the comeback was Aleksa Avramović, who was decisive in the final stretch of the game. The Serbian point guard scored 12 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, leading Dubai's offense at the most critical moment of the matchup. Bruno Caboclo also proved crucial, contributing 13 points and 6 rebounds with a solid performance in the paint.
Dubai's offense found contributions spread across the roster. Davis Bertans, Justin Anderson, Dzanan Musa, and Mfiondu Kabengele each added 9 points, completing a collective effort that allowed the visiting team to score 38 points in the fourth quarter—the run that ultimately decided the game in Kaunas.
For Zalgiris Kaunas, Moses Wright led the way with 15 points, while Arnas Butkevičius added 12. However, the Lithuanian team could not maintain the advantage they had built for much of the game and ultimately fell to Dubai's impressive comeback.
Dubai's EuroLeague victory has significant implications for the standings. Jurica Golemac's team improves to 19-17 and is back firmly in contention for the Play-In spots in the EuroLeague.
Meanwhile, Zalgiris Kaunas drops to 21-15 and sees their position in the fight for the Top 6 of the EuroLeague put at risk with only two matchdays remaining in the regular season.