Breakers celebrate New Year with dominant win

In their first of five matches without leader Parker Jackson-Cartwright due to suspension, the Breakers stepped up with a statement performance which saw them win all four quarters.

Matt Mooney was instrumental with a double-double, putting up a team-high 23 points on 64% shooting while adding 10 assists and three steals.

Center Tacko Fall dominated the paint, recording a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds along with one block.

New Zealand took control from the tip-off, shooting an impressive 54% from the field.

They held the Taipans to just 32% shooting and were relentless on the boards, out-rebounding Cairns 50-36, with 13 offensive rebounds leading to 17 second-chance points.

The Breakers’ bench also provided an extra spark with 27 points to Cairns’ 14. Sam Mennenga made a significant impact, scoring 11 points on 83% shooting in just under 22 minutes while Max Darling added nine points.

Head coach Petteri Koponen said it was a great feeling to end their losing streak with a dominant performance.

“It feels great. We controlled the game all 40 minutes and I’m proud of these guys and how they responded to adversity,” he said.

“The guys are getting better and more and more on the same page. Everyone was there competing tonight and I’m so happy for them.

“I have to give big credit to Mitch and Matt - they controlled the game. We shared the ball excellently tonight and defensively we were great too. This gives us a lot of confidence and you can see the improvement.”

The BNZ Breakers now head home for a match-up against Perth Wildcats at Spark Arena in Auckland on Sunday afternoon.