U-BT Cluj-Napoca welcome reigning champions Dubai Basketball in Round 3 clash
U-BT Cluj-Napoca and Dubai Basketball will face each other in one of the most exciting matchups of Round 3 of the 2026/27 AdmiralBet ABA League season, as both teams look to keep perfect score in the regional competition.
2026/27 AdmiralBet ABA League Regular Season Group B, Round 3, Sunday, 11 October 2026:
U-BT CLUJ-NAPOCA – DUBAI BASKETBALL
Where? BT Arena, Cluj-Napoca
When? 12:00
Story of the Game: U-BT Cluj-Napoca and Dubai Basketball will face each other in one of the most exciting matchups of Round 3 of the 2026/27 AdmiralBet ABA League season, as both teams look to keep perfect score in the regional competition.
U-BT Cluj-Napoca will have the home-court advantage at BT Arena, but they face a difficult challenge against the reigning ABA League champions, who have once again assembled a star-studded roster with ambitions of competing for trophies on multiple fronts.
Both teams made winning starts to their ABA League campaigns. U-BT Cluj-Napoca impressed on the road against Vienna, recording a 95:84 victory behind excellent offensive execution and 27 team assists. Javonte Smart and Uroš Plavšić made immediate impacts, finishing with index ratings of 27 and 24 respectively. Meanwhile, Dubai Basketball opened their title defense with a convincing 85:70 road victory against Perspektiva Ilirija, demonstrating their quality and depth in their first regional league appearance of the season.
U-BT Cluj-Napoca enter this encounter in high spirits following an impressive 98:92 home victory over Umana Reyer Venice in Wednesday's BKT EuroCup clash. Mihai Silvășan's team overturned a ten-point halftime deficit, with Javonte Smart leading the way with 26 points. Dubai Basketball, meanwhile, suffered a 58:77 home defeat against fellow ABA League side Crvena zvezda Meridianbet in Thursday's EuroLeague action, with Dwayne Bacon scoring 13 points. The reigning ABA League champions will therefore be eager to bounce back in Romania, while the hosts will look to build on their European success.
Match-up in Focus: One of the most interesting individual battles will feature U-BT Cluj-Napoca's Javonte Smart and Dubai Basketball's Elie Okobo. Smart has quickly established himself as one of U-BT Cluj-Napoca’s key offensive weapons, delivering an impressive ABA League debut against Vienna before producing a 26-point performance against Umana Reyer Venice in the EuroCup. His scoring ability and creativity will be essential if the hosts hope to challenge the reigning champions.
On the other side, Okobo brings valuable EuroLeague experience, outstanding ball-handling skills and the ability to create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. His offensive versatility makes him one of Dubai's most dangerous players, and his battle with Smart could have a major influence on the outcome of Sunday's encounter.
Head-to-head score in ABA: In total 0:2; In Cluj-Napoca 0:1.
