Match Report 23 Oct

Breakers v Brisbane: Bullets Snatch Stunning Comeback

 

In a stunning upset that capped a remarkable comeback, the Brisbane Bullets defeated the BNZ Breakers, 84-83, on Auckland’s North Shore on Thursday night. The nail-biting final score was a single-point victory for Brisbane, a narrower margin than their  season-opening success.

 

The BNZ Breakers played dynamic basketball in the opening half to establish a massive 57-39 lead and looked set to record a comfortable win. However, the Bullets were far from finished and immediately set about eroding that advantage in the second half.

The Breakers’ lead was trimmed to four points at three-quarter time, and when Jaylen Adams made a pair of free throws early in the fourth, the Bullets grabbed their first lead of the game.

 

Both sides struggled to score late before Sam Mennenga scored his first points of the second half to give the Breakers an 80-79 lead with four minutes remaining. When Reuben Te Rangi scored his first points of the contest with 2:40 remaining, the Breakers’ lead was a slender 83-80.

 

From there, Brisbane stifled the Breakers' offence. Veteran Lamar Patterson delivered the dagger, hitting a score to pull the Bullets to within a point with 1:46 to play, before sinking the clutch go-ahead basket with just 16 seconds left on the clock, silencing the home crowd. Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Izayah Le’afa both missed on the final possessions as Tyrell Harrison stood tall. The Bullets departed Auckland with their second victory over the Breakers this season.

 

Casey Prather led the Bullets’ scoring with 23 points (plus a dozen rebounds), and Patterson finished with 20 points. Harrison was excellent in the second half, securing a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds, while fellow Kiwi Taine Murray scored 10.

 

Mennenga top-scored for the Breakers with 27 points but was held to just two points in the

second half. Parker Jackson-Cartwright was lively with 17 points and 5 assists, and Izayah Brockington tallied 12 points and 6 rebounds. Next best was Karim López with 7 points.

 

Game Flow

Playing their 148th game at Eventfinda Stadium (formerly North Shore Events Centre), the Breakers scored from the opening tip, and with Mennenga scoring six straight points—including a ferocious dunk—led 11-7 at the midpoint of the opening spell. The situation improved further as the Breaker scored the last eight points of the quarter to lead 25-11 at quarter time.

 

The second stanza opened with Mennenga and Le’afa knocking down threes to push the home team’s advantage to 20 points. The maximum lead peaked at 24 points before the Bullets replied through Prather and North Shore product Taine Murray. When Brockington converted from deep and Mennenga took his points tally beyond 20, Brisbane coach Stu Lash needed a timeout. Prather hit back instantly, but Mennenga’s 25 points on 11-from-14 shooting was the difference as the Breakers carried a 57-39 lead into the locker room at half-time.

 

The Bullets shot out of the gate at the start of the second half and, within four minutes, reduced the deficit to single figures (61-53). López and Jackson-Cartwright kept the score ticking over for the hosts, but momentum was with the Bullets, and when Jaylen Adams unfurled a brace of triples, Brisbane was only four points down (72-68) with ten minutes to play.

 

The momentum remained with the visitors as they grabbed the lead for the first time in the early stages of the fourth before going on to outscore the Breakers 16-11 in the final quarter. The BNZ Breakers were left to reflect on a painful loss after they had built a huge lead in the second quarter.

 

The BNZ Breakers are next in action on Friday, October 31, when they visit defending champions Illawarra Hawks. This is followed by a match up with Bryce Cotton and the Adelaide 36ers at Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch on Thursday, November 6.

 

 

Result:

BNZ Breakers 83 – Mennenga 27pts, Jackson-Cartwright 17pts, Brockington 12pts Brisbane Bullets 84 – Prather 23pts & 12rebs, Patterson 20pts, Harrison 16pts & 11rebs, Adams 14pts, Murray 10pts