EuroLeague Tip-Off: Dubai Shocks Real Madrid in Dramatic Opener

The 2026/27 EuroLeague season tipped off on Thursday night with a slate of opening games, highlighted by a dramatic thriller in the Persian Gulf as Dubai BC edged Real Madrid 78-77.

Dubai Edges Real Madrid in Thriller

Dubai exacted a measure of revenge against Real Madrid following a tight SuperCup defeat earlier this month. Real seized control in the second quarter behind Theo Maledon and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarot to build a 44-33 advantage before Mfiondu Kabengele hit a crucial triple just before halftime. Dubai opened the third frame with a ferocious 14-0 run, fueled by Dwayne Bacon and Damian Jones, who poured in all 10 of his points in the period.

"We showed incredible resilience against one of Europe's elite clubs, fighting until the final buzzer to secure this historic victory," said the team management after the game.

Real Madrid reclaimed a 77-71 lead late in the game, but McKinley Wright IV drained a clutch three-pointer with 51 seconds remaining to put Dubai ahead 78-77. Facundo Campazzo missed on the other end, and though Dubai turned the ball over with eight seconds left, Andres Feliz misfired on the game-winning buzzer-beater. Bacon led all scorers with 24 points for the winners.

Opening Night Around Europe

Elsewhere on the opening night, attention turned to historic returns and marquee matchups across the continent. Jonas Valanciunas made his much-anticipated return to the EuroLeague with Zalgiris Kaunas after 14 seasons and over 1,000 games in the NBA, visiting Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade.

In Athens, Zeljko Obradovic made his emotional return to Panathinaikos after a 14-year absence, though the Greens faced Paris Basketball with a severely depleted roster missing Kendrick Nunn, Kostas Sloukas, Nigel Hayes-Davis, and Moustapha Fall. Meanwhile, Mike James made his return to Palau Blaugrana leading Anadolu Efes against Barcelona, and defending champion Olympiacos traveled to Vitoria to face Baskonia.