Breakers Take Backwards Step in Cairns

Nothing has gone right for the Sky Sport Breakers in their second game against the Taipans with the side losing 84-69 in Cairns. 

The Taipans were overrun against the Breakers on the same floor on Saturday but that win is suddenly a distant memory.

Breakers coach Dan Shamir didn’t hide his disappointment post-match.

"We're disappointed. It was a bad game for us and we didn’t have a lot of flow in our game," Shamir said.

"Partially that's because of Taipans coverages, they came with a lot of switches that by the finish takes a little bit of your flow away because you can do various things, but primarily you attack mismatches. 

"That did not go so well for us in the beginning and while we struggled there, also with their shot making we were a step slow. We got behind and chased them for the whole game. I'm disappointed with the performance and obviously with the result."

The kiwis scored the first bucket of the game with Finn Delany feeding Rob Loe, and already but the Snakes produced their best performance of the season to return to the winner's list with the 15-point victory.

To the Breakers credit even on a night where little went right, and they shot just 4/29 from three-point land, and Tai and Corey Webster combined for just 20 points on 8/26 shooting including 1/12 from deep, they did fire back late.

Lamar Patterson threatened again to take over and Jarrad Weeks running the point had them within striking distance, but the Taipans on this night had all the answers.

Majok Deng played with great energy on both ends for Cairns to finish with 21 points, three rebounds and two blocks with Noi adding 18 points and five boards, and Blagojevic 10 points, three rebounds and two steals.

Machado (13 points, 11 assists) and Oliver (eight points, 11 rebounds) still played well too for the Snakes.

Tai Webster still top-scored for New Zealand with 13 points while Finn Delany scored 11, Rob Loe 10, Tom Abercrombie eight and Lamar Patterson eight.

The Taipans took over momentum ironically when George Blagojevic came into the game after a minute for Kouat Noi. Blagojevic hit five quick points and provided the spark before Noi returned for seven quick points and the Taipans were up six after one.

That advantage grew to double-figures early in the second quarter and despite a flurry for the Breakers from Finn Delany, the Taipans remained in charge up 11 at the main break.

The Snakes then opened the second half with a 13-2 run to break the game wide open with that including three balls from Noi, Jordan Ngatai and Deng while Deng also threw down one of his three big two-handed dunks of the game.

Tai Webster tried to lead a Breakers fightback but Cairns still led by 16 after three. But there was one more New Zealand flourish left and they did get back within eight, but Deng was the one with the answers scoring Cairns' last seven points as they secured the 15-point win.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 4

CAIRNS TAIPANS 84 (Deng 21, Noi 18, Machado 13)

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 69 (T Webster 13, Delany 11, Loe 10) 

BOX SCORE