Dubai didn’t win this one early — it won it late.
Behind a 28-point fourth quarter, Dubai pulled away from Monaco for a 101-91 victory Thursday at Zetra Stadium, a result that matters in a crowded EuroLeague table with Dubai entering at 18-17 and Monaco at 19-16.
How the game swung
Dubai set the tone immediately, jumping out 24-18 after one quarter. Monaco responded with its best stretch of the night in the second, scoring 29 to take the middle of the game back and keep the contest tight heading into halftime (Dubai 47, Monaco 47).
The third quarter stayed in the balance. Dubai edged it 26-24, creating a small cushion, but nothing close to separation. That changed in the fourth: Dubai’s 28-20 closing quarter finally broke Monaco’s resistance and turned a one-possession-type game into a 10-point final.
Ball movement vs. finishing power
Monaco’s offense leaned on connectivity — it finished with 26 assists — and it showed in the way it steadied itself after the slow first quarter and surged in the second. Dubai was nearly as organized, posting 24 assists, but the difference was what happened when the game tightened.
Dubai’s execution in the final period — the cleanest, highest-scoring quarter by either team — created the only real gap of the night. Monaco kept generating looks, but Dubai controlled the scoreboard when it mattered most.
Quarter-by-quarter scoring
Q1: Dubai 24, Monaco 18
Q2: Dubai 23, Monaco 29
Q3: Dubai 26, Monaco 24
Q4: Dubai 28, Monaco 20
What it means going forward
Dubai’s recent form (WLLWL entering the night) gets a jolt from a win built on late-game shot-making and composure, the kind of finish that can travel in EuroLeague play. For Monaco, which came in trending up (LLWWW), the assist total reflects a functional offense — but the inability to match Dubai’s fourth-quarter punch is the takeaway that lingers after a game that was level at halftime and still within reach after three.