The Breakers have suffered a 94-78 defeat to Adelaide 36ers at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Sunday night lacking energy in their play as the home side pushed home an early advantage.
Adelaide’s high-powered offence, led by Montrezl Harrell’s 26 points and Kendric Davis’ double-double of 23 points and 13 assists, proved too much for the Breakers to overcome.
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With co-captain Parker Jackson-Cartwright missing the game due to a mid section injury, the Breakers struggled to find consistency on offence.
Trailing by as many as 28 points, the Breakers regrouped and showed resilience in the second half by mounting a 12-0 run to trim the deficit.
The Breakers won the second half 43-37, but the damage done in the first half was enough to allow Adelaide to seal the result.
Mojave King led a valiant effort off the bench with a team high 20 points on an efficient 7-of-12 shooting, draining five three pointers.
Jonah Bolden recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Matt Mooney contributed 14 points and a team-high nine assists and Karim Lopez pulled down 11 boards to go with his seven points.
Tacko Fall pulled down six rebounds and scored five points.
Turnovers proved costly, with the Breakers committing 17 compared to Adelaide’s eight, leading to 18 points for the home side.
Head coach Petteri Koponen said his side lacked energy early in the contest but responded well in the second half.
The Breakers now head home ahead of a match-up against Cairns Taipans at Spark Arena on Saturday night.
Adelaide 36ers 94 (Montrezl Harrell 26, Kendric Davis 23, Isaac Humphries 12)
NZ Breakers 78 (Mojave King 20, Matt Mooney 14, Jonah Bolden 10)