The NZ Breakers' New Year's Eve victory in Cairns is quickly turning into an aberration.
Since the drought-breaking win before ringing in the New Year, the Breakers have dropped their second game in five days, falling 83-74 to the Brisbane Bullets on Wednesday night.
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After Tacko Fall and Matt Mooney combined for 56 points in Sunday's home loss to the Perth Wildcats, neither ever really got going at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, while Casey Prather proved the difference, with 31 points for the Bullets as they snapped a three-game losing run.
The Breakers were without Parker Jackson-Cartwright for the third game of his five-game suspension and Mojave King with a calf injury.
Neither team was able to get any momentum throughout the first half, but Prather delivered 17 points and six rebounds to help the Bullets to the 38-35 lead.
Despite Mooney and Fall having three fouls, the Breakers stayed in touch with the only six offensive rebounds of the second quarter, but it was a grind with the Bullets shooting 42 percent and the Breakers 43 percent.
A fourth foul to Mooney once again hurt the Breakers, just as it did when he fouled out on Sunday against Perth, with Brisbane taking full advantage to blow the game open in the third quarter.
The Bullets were up eight heading into the fourth and opened up a double-figure advantage in the last 10 minutes to improve to 10-11 and stay right in the top-six race.
Despite Prather shooting 1-of-11 from three, he went 10-of-15 inside the arc and 8-of-14 at the charity stripe for 31 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Tall Blacks forward Tyrell Harrison finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds (six offensive), Isaac White 13 points on 3-of-3 three-point shooting,
The Breakers dropped to 8-13, having lost 10 of the last 11, with Mooney shaking off the foul trouble and only playing 22 minutes for 21 points. Mitch McCarron added nine points and five rebounds, Karim Lopez eight points and four boards, and Max Darling eight points.
With both teams possessing a giant inside and missing some stars in the back court, it became a fascinating battle of the big men, with Harrison and Fall scoring first for their sides.
But it was McCarron who was crucial to the Breakers, making a 6-2 start before Isaac White knocked down a couple of threes for the Bullets. The Breakers clung to a 17-15 lead at the end of one thanks to 7-of-12 at the foul line.
Prather provided the spark early in the second quarter for the Bullets as he scored 11 quick points, including hitting a three ball to give his team a four-point advantage despite Breakers triples from Kaia Isaac and Mooney.
However, Mooney and Fall both had three fouls before half-time and even though a third three of the half from White kept Brisbane on top, six late points from 17-year-old Mexican 'Next Star' Lopez saw the Breakers limit the Bullets lead to a 38-35 at the break.
Fall did not start the second half for the Breakers and then Mooney picked up a fourth foul early on when Mitch Norton drew a charge, forcing him to go sit down a very agitated man.
The Bullets took advantage to gradually build on the lead and they did start the half with an 8-2 run to go up by nine but the Breakers fired straight back with triples from McCarron and Grant Anticevich.
The Bullets pushed their edge back out to 58-50 by three-quarter time with an offensive rebound and putback by Harrison and then maintained their advantage throughout the fourth on the way to the important nine-point win.
Both teams back up again to play on Saturday, with the Breakers first up on the road to the league-leading Illawarra Hawks (tip-off 7.30pm NZ Time), while the Bullets take on the South East Melbourne Phoenix for a third time this season.
Brisbane Bullets 83 (Casey Prather 31, Isaac White 13, Tyrell Harrison 13, Deng Adel 11) NZ Breakers 74 (Matt Mooney 21). 1Q: 15-17, HT: 38-35, 3Q: 58-50