Atlanta Hawks head coach Nate McMillan is determined that the upcoming NBA Abu Dhabi Games will leave a lasting legacy for the sport in the UAE.
The Hawks face 2021 champions Milwaukee Bucks in two pre-season games on October 6 and 8 at the Etihad Arena as top-level NBA action arrives in the UAE for the first time.
And McMillan, whose team were beaten 4-1 by Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference play-offs last season, is fully aware of the importance and potential of the two matches on Yas Island.
“These are two exciting young teams and we want to expose our game as a celebration of the NBA’s first game ever in Abu Dhabi,” McMillan said after his team’s final workout on Wednesday.
“We will play hard, work on our game and see where we are and try to improve.
“The players are well aware how important these games are, not only as pre-season games but to the community here and promoting the NBA to be a global brand. We know the importance of how we play these two games.
“We want to create an impact in Abu Dhabi and the region. We are just honoured NBA selected us along with the Bucks to be a part of exposing our game to this community and the country. I expect both the teams to come over and play hard and play well.”
The Bucks, meanwhile, were unable to repeat their historic success of 2021 when they captured their first NBA championship in 50 years after beating Phoenix Suns 4-2.
Despite losing the first two of the best-of-seven series, the Bucks fought back to win only their second title, the other victory coming in 1971.
But any hopes of a repeat success last season were ended in the Eastern Conference semi-finals when they were beaten 4-3 by the Boston Celtics – who would go on to lose to Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
After 10 days in training camp, McMillan admitted his players were looking forward to getting on to the court and into a competitive game.
“The Bucks are a very good team,” he added. “They played a game already. They will come here and work on their game. We will be able to test ourselves and work on our game.
“It’s an opportunity we are looking forward to. We will play hard. We’ll take from that game and learn from that game. The plan is to correct the mistakes of last season.”
The Bucks, meanwhile, are heading into the new season as slight favourites to win their third championship, according to NBA.com's annual survey of all 30 of the league's general managers.
Milwaukee received 43 per cent of the vote, defending champions Golden State 25 per cent, with 21 per cent going for LA Clippers and 11 per cent for the Celtics.
The Bucks are clear favourites to win the Eastern Conference ahead of defending champions Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer believes his team will benefit from their time in the UAE going into the new season. “If you just do camps in your market you are just doing normal things, going home at the end of the day, whereas here we’re doing meals together, different trips etc. It’s just all that time together,” he said.
And as for what the fans in Abu Dhabi can expect over the two matches? “We are really excited, we feel this is a very special sport, something that is incredibly exciting with amazing players doing amazing things,” he added.
“As coaches I’m not sure how much we will be smiling during the games but hopefully we can turn round and see the fans smiling and enjoying it and appreciating what these athletes can do."
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Fixtures
Tuesday - 5.15pm: Team Lebanon v Alger Corsaires; 8.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Pharaohs
Wednesday - 5.15pm: Pharaohs v Carthage Eagles; 8.30pm: Alger Corsaires v Abu Dhabi Storms
Thursday - 4.30pm: Team Lebanon v Pharaohs; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Carthage Eagles
Friday - 4.30pm: Pharaohs v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Team Lebanon
Saturday - 4.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Team Lebanon
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The bio:
Favourite film:
Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Favourite holiday destination:
Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.
Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.
Favourite pastime:
Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.
Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.
Personal motto:
Declan: Take chances.
Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.
Jawan
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed
Rating: 1.5/5
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
