Dubai Basketball put together long stretches of high-level play in Athens on Thursday night, but a strong first half wasn’t enough to withstand Panathinaikos’ late surge in a 103–82 defeat.

Dubai opened the game with confidence and control, imposing itself in the paint and dictating tempo early. Mfiondu Kabengele once again led by example, finishing with 18 points and battling consistently under the rim. Boogie Ellis added 15 points in the first half, helping Dubai Basketball establish a 48–45 advantage at the break and keeping the home crowd unusually quiet through much of the first two quarters.

The momentum shifted mid-third quarter, when Panathinaikos increased its defensive pressure inside and turned several defensive stops into a decisive run. With outside shots not falling — Dubai closed the night at 4-of-23 from deep — the visitors found fewer clean looks as the hosts pulled away.

Dubai Basketball also played without top scorer Dwayne Bacon, who is recovering from a thumb injury, and lost Aleksa Avramović after a second-quarter collision that prevented his return.

Looking ahead, Dubai Basketball has a bye week in the AdmiralBet ABA League this weekend. The team returns home, where they will take on Paris Basketball in round 13 in the Coca-Cola Arena.