The National Basketball Association (NBA) made its much-anticipated return to the Etihad Arena on Thursday night as the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Dallas Mavericks 111-99 in front of a star-studded crowd in the first of two preseason games as part of The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023 presented by ADQ.

With several high-profile celebrities looking on, including Hollywood actor Michael B Jordan, Brazilian football legend Ronaldo, Grammy Award-winning rapper T-Pain, and Lebanese singer Maya Diab, the Timberwolves took an early 22-5 lead and didn’t look back.  Luka Dončić, the Mavericks’ four-time NBA All-Star, top-scored with 25 points in 17 first-half minutes, but it was Minnesota – led by 20 points from Karl-Anthony Towns and 16 from Naz Reid – who claimed the win.

“The return of the NBA Games to Abu Dhabi as part of a landmark partnership between the NBA and DCT Abu Dhabi has enabled us to attract a wider sporting audience base across not only the capital and the UAE, but across the GCC region,” said Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism, Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) Abu Dhabi. “There’s massive excitement for basketball here and partnerships such as this further support the interests of our community, while raising awareness about the sport among potential new fans. This event helps to raise the bar for sports in Abu Dhabi.”

Fans enjoyed a host of in-game entertainment including, acrobatic dunkers and a rapid rhythmic show from live performance painter David Garibaldi, who created a pop-art illustration of Dončić during the halftime break. 

“Even from Wednesday, we came off the practice and you could feel the buzz building around the game,” said Timberwolves coach Chris Finch.  “It felt like a much bigger event than a normal pre-season game.  The crowd was outstanding.  We knew it was going to be a sell-out and a great atmosphere and the fans certainly showed up for us.  We’ve had an outstanding time here, so gracious, warm, and welcoming.  The atmosphere has been special given it’s only a preseason game.  Everyone involved in bringing these games to this part of the world deserves credit and the fans are lapping it up.”

“The crowd was great,” added Dončić. “There were a lot of celebrities. I didn’t expect that, so it was a lot of fun and I’m really glad to be able to play here.”

Both teams will face-off once again today, October 7, at Etihad Arena in their final game of the series.