Mavericks, Timberwolves to Play 2 Preseason Games for NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023

The NBA is heading back to Abu Dhabi later this year for two preseason games.

The league announced on Tuesday the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves will play at Etihad Arena on Oct. 5 and 7.

The NBA and Abu Dhabi entered into a multiyear agreement in November 2021 to host preseason games in the country.

"Abu Dhabi is a vibrant multicultural hub with a demonstrated track record of hosting world-class sporting events," NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said of the deal.

The Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks played the first Abu Dhabi games in October. Atlanta won both games with Trae Young scoring a combined 53 points.

The NBA has put an increased emphasis on playing games outside of North America in recent years. The Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards played two preseason games in Japan on Sept. 30 and Oct. 2.

Mexico City and Paris hosted regular-season games this season. It marked the first time the NBA played regular-season contests away from North America since Jan. 2020.

This will mark the first time the Timberwolves have played an international preseason game in six years. They played a two-game series against the Warriors in China in October 2017.

The Mavericks and 76ers played two preseason games in China in October 2018.

Minnesota made the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference this season before losing to the Denver Nuggets in the first round.

Dallas missed the playoffs for the first time since Luka Dončić's rookie season in 2018-19. The team lost 12 of its final 16 games to finish 38-44.