Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade strengthened its playoff position on Friday night, edging Dubai Basketball 95-92 at Belgrade Arena to move to 15-10 in the 2025–26 EuroLeague season.
The narrow defeat dropped Dubai to 11-14, leaving the visitors further outside the top-10 picture despite a strong second-half response in one of the loudest arenas in the competition.
Zvezda set the tone early with a dominant opening quarter, racing to a 34-11 lead behind sharp ball movement and flawless execution on offense.
The hosts handed out 10 assists without committing a single turnover in the first 10 minutes, while knocking down 5 of 8 shots from beyond the arc.
That outburst established the largest first-quarter margin in club history and represented the most points Zvezda have ever scored in an opening period.
Dubai appeared overwhelmed early, especially after a series of powerful finishes inside, including a highlight dunk from Joel Bolomboy in his first EuroLeague appearance since March 2025.
Momentum shifted dramatically in the second quarter as the home side’s offense stalled and the visitors tightened their defense.
Mfiondu Kabengele dominated the paint on both ends, while McKinley Wright IV controlled the tempo and pushed Dubai back into contention.
Zvezda’s lead shrank to just 44-41 by halftime, and anxiety crept into the arena when the gap narrowed to 59-58 midway through the third quarter.
Jared Butler steadied the hosts with timely three-pointers, allowing the red-and-whites to regain control and carry a 68-61 advantage into the final period.
Strong interior work from Ebuka Izundu and balanced scoring from Jordan Nwora fueled another push, as Zvezda stretched the margin to 84-69 early in the fourth.
Dubai refused to fold, closing the gap through aggressive attacking and second-chance opportunities, capped by Kabengele’s deep three at the buzzer.
The late shot trimmed the final deficit to three, but Zvezda’s early cushion proved decisive.
Nwora led the scoring for the winners with 22 points, while Izundu earned player of the game honors with 18 points and 8 rebounds on 8-of-9 shooting.
Butler and Codi Miller-McIntyre added 16 points apiece, with Miller-McIntyre also contributing 7 assists to keep the offense organized.
Kabengele was the standout for Dubai with 24 points and 8 rebounds, supported by Dwayne Bacon’s 19 points and Wright’s 16.
Zvezda will look to extend its winning streak when it hosts Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv next Tuesday, while Dubai returns home to face Olympiacos Piraeus.
