The Count’s Corner: A Week of Extremes (v Kings & Hawks)

The Count keeps track of the numbers, both good and bad…

 

The Count believes in transparency - so let’s get the rough arithmetic and red ink - out of the way first. Friday night at Spark Arena left some unwanted records on my spreadsheet as the BNZ Breakers were blown away 103-62 by the Sydney Kings.

 

My calculator does not lie: this was the equal biggest loss suffered by the Breakers in New Zealand. The 41-point deficit matched a 137-96 loss to the Brisbane Bullets way back in the inaugural 2003 season. Furthermore, the 21 points scored in the opening half represented the lowest-ever halftime score posted in club history.

 

The Bounce Back Equation However, in the NBL, the numbers can change rapidly. Just 48 hours later, the team produced a performance of grit, character, and high skill in Wollongong to defeat the defending champion Illawarra Hawks 101-96.

 

It was the Starting Five who carried the load. The quintet posted impressive numbers, scoring all but four of the team’s total points! They erased the memory of Friday’s shooting woes to make a collective 35 from 62 from the field.

 

Milestone Market: The Count’s database lit up with individual achievements in the win against the Hawks:

 

Parker Jackson-Cartwright: Paced the team with 23 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals. In doing so, PJC passed 1,400 NBL points in his 75th game (holding a career average of 18.8ppg).

 

Sam Mennenga: Big Sam dropped 21 points, passing the 700-point mark for the club (averaging 13.6ppg).

 

Izaiah Brockington: Efficient and deadly. He added 20 points (shooting 7/10 from the field and 4/4 from the line) and dished out 5 assists.

 

Rob Baker II: Contributed 17 points on a sharp 7/10 shooting clip and pulled down 6 rebounds.

 

The Next Star Record: A special entry for Karim López, who was a two-way force with 16 points, 6 assists, and a career-high 5 steals.

 

The Count has gone deep into this archives: Karim has become the first-ever player from the Next Stars Programme to record 5 steals in a game. Given that Next Stars have played a collective 812 games in this league, standing alone at the top of that list is no small feat.

 

New Number Assigned: 167 The Count welcomes a new entry into to his illustrious books. Congratulations to Development Player Tukaha Cooper on debuting and becoming Breaker #167 against Sydney.

 

The 23-year-old former Whangarei Boys High School standout linked up with the BNZ Breakers after a stellar season with the Southland Sharks, where he played all 24 games during their run to the 2025 NZNBL Grand Final.

 

I am eagerly packing for HoopsFest, though I was slightly disappointed to learn it’s just about basketball. I was really hoping for a celebration of the joy of resolving circular references in an Excel spreadsheet.

 

The Count will be looking for consistency at "HoopsFest" in Perth. The BNZ Breakers will take on the Cairns Taipans on January 17.