It was once again McKinley Wright time as the Dubai playmaker scored all of his team's clutch points and set a season high in assists in a long-awaited narrow road win
A delighted McKinley Wright sets assist mark, lifts Dubai over Efes
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 17 of 38
Regular Season
Anadolu Efes IstanbulEFS
7680
Dubai BasketballDUB
Overview
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A chunk of late-game luck and another clutch performance by its unstoppable playmaker allowed Dubai Basketball to finally have a victorious ending in a road game.
McKinley Wright had a EuroLeague season-high 15 assists and scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, while Davis Bertans netted all of his 11 points in the final period, including the team’s 3 fourth-quarter three-pointers, as Dubai secured a come-from-behind 76-80 win over Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Friday night.
“We’ve been in a lot of close games on the road this year, it was about time we pulled one out,” Wright said in a EuroLeague TV interview after the dramatic win.
Dubai snapped a five-game road losing streak, which included a two-point loss in Valencia and a one-point defeat in Bologna. Now, they finally prevailed in a dramatic finale on the road, as their only other road win this season came also in Istanbul, back in October, against the defending champs Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.
“Every road win in the EuroLeague is special. It looks like Istanbul is a happy city for us,” Dubai head coach Jurica Golemac joked.
However, a mere millimeter left or right, this could have easily been another crushing loss.
After Dubai erased a 10-point third quarter deficit thanks to Bertans's long-range shooting and Wright making play after play, the visitors seemed in control when Wright made a short jumper to make it 72-76 in the last minute. Efes forward Ercan Osmani answered with a triple, 75-76, but Wright was calm from the free-throw line to make it a three-point game.
Dubai was in an even better position when Nick Weiler-Babb could only split free throws with 9.8 seconds to go. Dubai had a 76-78 lead and possession, however a bad inbound pass resulted in a turnover, giving Efes new life.
To make things worse, Justin Anderson and Bertans had a defensive miscommunication on the ensuing possession, and Jordan Loyd was left all alone on a three-pointer. His shot looked straight on target as some of the Dubai players watched it in disbelief with hands on their head, but the shot somehow rolled out.
Those few seconds seemed like a lifetime, but Dubai pulled down a rebound and finally prevailed.
“In the end, we had a little bit of luck, but I think bravery through the whole game gave us the win, and I think we deserved it,” Coach Golemac pointed out.
The outcome also gave Wright a right to celebrate his memorable performance.
The Dubai playmaker had a career night just three days ago when he collected 26 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds, but it came in a nail-biting defeat at home to Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv. This time, all those fourth-quarter baskets made the difference.
“Justin Anderson does a great job of telling me it’s time,” Wright revealed about his clutch performances. “My teammates and my coaching staff believe in me with the ball in my hands in the fourth quarter. And I am just trying to stay confident and stay within the flow, and just make the right reads.”
Wright was also not shy to admit the reason why he was delighted about finishing the night with 15 assists.
“It’s my career high, in general,” Wright stressed. “High school, college, AAU [basketball], whatever. It feels good. Shout-out to my guys making shots, especially Bertans down the stretch.”
Looking at the big picture and taking a peak at the standings, Dubai is only one win away from the postseason places. The UAE-based team will play its last game of the calendar year at home against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan next week. A win would allow Dubai to take an even 9-9 record into 2026.
Considering the injuries, its relative EuroLeague inexperience, and the travel the team has endured, it’s quite an accomplishment for the competition newcomers.
And if Wright continues to play the best basketball of his career, who knows what the second part of the regular season could hold for Dubai.
