ASVEL Powerless in Dubai and Still in Last Place
ASVEL took another hit in EuroLeague play, going down 96–85 on the road in Dubai. Still stuck at the bottom of the standings, Villeurbanne has now dropped three straight, and there’s not much right now suggesting a turnaround is around the corner.
For its first visit to Dubai, ASVEL hoped to stop the slide. That didn’t happen. Already struggling since the start of 2026, the team from the Rhône ran into an Emirati side that was deeper, more athletic, and more consistent over the full 40 minutes.
Without Thomas Heurtel (back), Mbaye Ndiaye (hand fracture), and Bodian Massa (with the French national team), Pierrick Poupet’s group hung around early before gradually giving way.
Kabengele Dominates in the Paint
The opening stretch set the tone right away. Set up well by McKinley Wright IV, Mfiondu Kabengele imposed his power around the rim. Alley-oops, work on the glass, even some range — the big man poured in 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting over the first eight minutes, helping Dubai Basketball build an early cushion.
After ten minutes, the home side was already up 24–17. The margin pushed to 28–17 bridging the first and second quarters, underlining Villeurbanne’s issues inside.
Despite a few makes from deep by Armel Traoré, Braian Angola, and David Lighty, ASVEL couldn’t string together stops. By halftime, Dubai was firmly in control, 47–36.
Too Little Too Late
Out of the locker room, Lyon’s hopes didn’t last long. Dwayne Bacon (18 points) and McKinley Wright (16 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists) kept getting downhill and creating clean looks, stretching the lead to +17 (59–42) before it grew to 75–58 by the end of the third.
TIP IN AT THE BUZZER! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/DcHoREB5Wh
— Dubai Basketball (@dubaibasket) February 26, 2026
Glynn Watson Jr. tried to keep things interesting with 17 points on a perfect 5-of-5 from deep. Braian Angola (15 points), Bastien Vautier (13 points), and Shaquille Harrison (11 points) chipped in as well, but they never really put pressure on a steady, composed Dubai side.
The fourth quarter turned into a control job for the home team, who secured their fourth straight win and moved to 15–14 on the season (11–3 at home).
Still in Last Place
With the 96–85 loss, ASVEL drops to 7–22 and remains stuck at the bottom of the EuroLeague standings. Since the start of the 2026 calendar year, the numbers are rough: just 5 wins in 18 games across all competitions.
Before returning to Betclic ELITE play against Bourg-en-Bresse on March 7, Villeurbanne heads on the road to face Anadolu Efes for Round 30 of EuroLeague. In an already tough context, the end of the European season is shaping up to be a long one.
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