A slow start and poor third quarter has consigned the NZ Breakers to a fourth straight loss in the Australian National Basketball League (ANBL).
A fourth-quarter fightback came far too late as the Breakers suffered a 98-83 defeat to the surging Sydney Kings at Wellington's TSB Arena on Saturday night, dropping to 7-7 in the process.
LATEST HEADLINES:
American point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright yet again led the charge for the Breakers, finishing with a game-high 21 points (9/18 FG, 2/6 3pt) along with eight rebounds, six assists and a steal.
Kiwi big man Sam Mennenga stayed in the fight all game long, with 12 points (3/5 FG, 6/8 FT) and eight rebounds, while American guard Matt Mooney hit his strides with 19 points (7/18 FG, 3/13 3pt) to go with three assists and two steals.
,
Former NBA centre Tacko Fall also performed well with nine points, eight rebounds and a block in 13 minutes off the bench.
Breakers head coach Petteri Koponen said while the result was not what they wanted, it was pleasing to see areas of play trending in the right direction.
“Of course we are disappointed about the loss, but I liked the effort today,” he said. “It’s about little details. Again, too many turnovers for us and that was key in the loss, but we kept trying and competing.
“I think we generated some good shots but it wasn’t our best day shooting-wise and we need to get our confidence back and hit those.
“Overall we improved. We got better and kept fighting and that’s the way to move forward. We are not too far away."
Former NBA forward Xavier Cooks, a National Basketball League (NBL) MVP with the Wellington Saints, scored a team-high 20 points (8/12 FG), while former Breakers and Saints point guard Izayah Le'afa was held to four points and three assists.
The Kings jumped to a 10-point lead after four minutes and maintained it until mid-third quarter, when a 13-0 run blew the game open. The Breakers still trailed by 24 midway through the fourth, before 11 straight points gave the score some respectability.
The Breakers (7-7) are back in action on Thursday night (tip-off 7.30pm) when they host the Tasmania JackJumpers at Eventfinda Stadium on Auckland’s North Shore.
Sydney Kings 98 (Xavier Cooks 20, Jaylen Adams 20, Kouat Noi 19, Cameron Oliver 12) NZ Breakers 83 (Jackson Parker-Cartwright 21, Matt Mooney 19, Sam Mennenga 12). 1Q: 25-14, HT: 52-40, 3Q: 77-55