R15 Preview: New Zealand Breakers vs Perth Wildcats

WHO: NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS vs PERTH WILDCATS 

WHEN: Monday 14th March 2022

WHERE: My State Bank Arena, Hobart

BROADCAST: Sky Sport 1 & Prime

The season has been running for 101 days and this is the 92^nd game of the season and the very first time these teams have played this season. They are the last teams that have not played each other yet. 

They will have six days to wait until they meet again but this time in Perth for the Wildcats first game back at RAC Arena since 19^th December. The Breakers will have to also travel west in round 19. 

Both teams won on Saturday night and have travelled to Hobart for this game. New Zealand won in Adelaide 84-75 while Perth took care of the Bullets in Brisbane 95-83.  

The Breakers had the luxury of suiting up a full roster of players for the very first time this season on Saturday and led at every change against the 36ers and enjoyed a season best 55.6% shooting from the field including 12-from-24 threes at 50%.  

New Zealand are the only team that has not won consecutive games this season and the schedule has not been kind to them. Each time they have recorded a win, the Breakers have faced a team in the top half of the ladder. 

Round 6 beat Brisbane on the road, next game was against Melbourne United on a four game win streak
Round 7 beat Sydney on the road, next game played a ‘home’ game against Tasmania in Hobart
Round 10 beat Illawarra in Hobart, next game was against the Kings in Sydney on a three game win streak
Round 11 beat the Taipans in Cairns, next game was against United in Melbourne who posted NBL22 high of 108
Round 15 beat the 36ers in Adelaide, next game play the Wildcats on a season high four game win streak  

Perth have played once in Hobart this season in round 13 with a 89-78 win over the JackJumpers with Bryce Cotton leading the scoring with 20 and Vic Law adding 19-points and 13 rebounds. 

Vic Law is averaging 21.4 points and 11.6 rebounds over his past five games to be the NBL’s leading rebounder in the past three rounds and he has outscored Bryce Cotton (20.6ppg) in that span.
Vic Law injured his ankle against the Breakers in round 10 which ended his season in the last time he played against New Zealand on 20^th March 2021. 

From round 13, Peyton Siva has been averaging the most assists in the NBL at 7.3 per game along with 10.8 points which is remarkable numbers considering he was shooting just 3-from-20 from long range before Saturday with a perfect 3-from-3 in Adelaide bringing the confidence back. 

Hugo Besson came off the bench on Saturday on his return from injury to score a game high 17-points following games of 20 and 17 before he sat out 2 games with illness. 

Ousmane Dieng joins Besson with their first games against the Wildcats having scored double-figures in his last four games in 13, 17, 17 and 14.  

Perth have won a season best four games in a row away from Perth and the Wildcats have not won five road games in a row since December 2000. 

Longest Wildcats same season road winning streaks:
6 – August-October 1991
5 – September/October 1995
5 – April-June 1996
5- November/December 1999
5 – November/December 2000 
4 – February/March 2022 

Perth have won four away games six times since December 2000 including twice last year including the NBL Cup results but that fifth win in a row has been elusive since New Years Eve in Adelaide over 22 years ago.  

This is the final road game for the Wildcats for the regular season.  

Perth are 8 wins and 5 losses away from home so far and they have not won 9 on the road since 2014.  

Most regular season road wins by Wildcats last 10 years:
9 in 2014, 2013, 2012
8 in 2021, 2020
7 in 2018
6 in 2019, 2016, 2015
5 in 2017

In the first 12 rounds of the season, Perth led the league in three-point makes at 11.3 per game at a NBL best 35.5% 

Over their past five games however the Wildcats have ranked ninth in 3-pt makes at 7.8 per game at 31.7%. The only team to average less was New Zealand at 6.8 per game at 26.5%. 

Against United and Bullets this round, Perth have shot a combined 10-from-45 threes (22.2%) but they have still managed to score 97 and 95 points. In the past two games, Perth have taken 30 more free-throws than their opposition.  

All time meetings:  74 meetings Breakers won 34 Wildcats won 40 

Breakers have beaten Perth in 2 of their last 3 games including at Perth in round 14. Last season, the Breakers played their two home games against Perth at the Silverdome in Launceston and a remarkable Bryce Cotton buzzer beater sent the first game into an overtime win for the visitors who answered back with a 2-point win when they met again three weeks later. 

Fast deep facts:
Jesse Wagstaff joins Adam Gibson as the players that has played against the Breakers the most times in their career. Wagstaff already has 30 wins against the Kiwis to Gibson’s 29 to be the all-time leader. 

Most NBL games played against New Zealand:
58 Adam Gibson
57 Jesse Wagstaff
53 Daniel Johnson
50 Chris Goulding 

New Zealand Breakers Last 6 games and upcoming schedule:
Round 10: Sunday 6^th Feb away to Kings (Lost 65-84)
Round 11: Monday 14^th Feb away to Taipans (Won 84-83)
Round 12: Sunday 20^th Feb away to United (Lost 73-108)
Round 13: Tuesday 1^st March home vs Hawks (Hobart) (Lost 87-102)
Round 14: Saturday 5^th March away to Jack Jumpers (Launceston) (Lost 62-66)
Round 14: Monday 7^th March home vs Bullets (Hobart) (Lost 74-92)
Round 15: Saturday 12^th March home vs 36ers (Adelaide 36ers Arena)(Won 84-75)
Round 15: Monday 14^th March home vs Wildcats (Hobart)
Round 16: Sunday 20^th March away to Wildcats
Round 17: Thursday 24^th March home vs Bullets (Hobart)
Round 17: Sunday 27^th March home vs Taipans (Hobart)
Round 18: Monday 4^th April home vs Taipans (Hobart)
Round 19: Thursday 7^th April away to Wildcats
Round 19: Sunday 10^th April home vs Phoenix (TBC)
Round 19: Tuesday 12^th April home vs Kings (TBC)
Round 20: Friday 15^th April home vs JackJumpers (Hobart)
Round 21: Sunday 24^th April home vs 36ers (Hobart) 

Perth Wildcats Last 5 games and upcoming schedule:
Round 11: Saturday 12^th Feb away to United (Lost 87-93)
Round 12: Saturday 19^th Feb away to Kings (Lost 95-98)
Round 13: Saturday 26^th Feb away to Phoenix (Lost 80-86)
Round 13: Monday 28^th Feb away to Jack Jumpers (Won 89-78)
Round 14: Sunday 6^th March away to 36ers (Won 92-73)
Round 15: Thursday 10^th March away to United (Won 97-87)
Round 15: Saturday 12^th March away to Bullets (Won 95-83)
Round 15: Monday 14^th March away to Breakers (Hobart)
Round 16: Sunday 20^th March at home vs Breakers
Round 17: Thursday 24^th March at home vs JackJumpers
Round 17: Saturday 26^th March at home vs Kings
Round 18: Monday 4^th April at home vs United
Round 19: Thursday 7^th April at home vs Breakers
Round 20: Thursday 14^th April at home vs 36ers
Round 20: Saturday 16^th April at home vs Taipans
Round 21: Friday 22^nd April at home vs Hawks
Round 21: Sunday 24^th April at home vs Phoenix