Dallas and Minnesota to play NBA exhibition games in UAE in October

DUBAI, AFP: The Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves will play this year’s two National Basketball Association exhibition games in the United Arab Emirates, the league and local organisers announced on Tuesday.

The league opened a multi-year deal with the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism in 2022 when the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks met in the first two NBA games played in the Middle East.

The games between the Timberwolves and the Mavericks will be played on 5 and 7 October at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were last week eliminated from the NBA playoffs in the first round by Denver after finishing eighth in the Western Conference The Dallas Mavericks, led by Luka Doncic, missed the playoffs in controversial fashion.

The NBA has long held preseason games abroad. In the last 10 years venues have includedEngland, India, China, Japan, Brazil, Taiwan and the Philippines. This season the NBA staged regular-season games in Paris and Mexico City.