Fast Break Report

Stat Line

Points C.Goulding 23 (MEL), S.Morrison 21 (MEL), 2 with 14

Rebounds M.Vukona 17 (NZB), S.Morrison 14 (MEL), G.Wilkinson 7 (NZB)

Assists M.Vukona 8 (NZB), C.Bruton 6 (NZB), N.Tomlinson 5 (MEL)

Steals M.Vukona 3 (NZB), K.Johnson 2 (NZB), N.Tomlinson 2 (MEL)

Blocks S.Morrison 3 (MEL), A.Pledger 3 (NZB), M.Worthington 2 (MEL)

How It Unfolded

Mika Vukona led the way to a fairly comfortable and morale boosting win, falling two assists short of just the second ever triple double by a Breaker (Cedric Jackson had one last year). Vukona stayed out of foul trouble, yet did so without sacrificing his natural muscle and hustle, zoning in on 5 1Q rebounds. In fact as a team the Breakers rebounded superbly, an area where they’ve struggled in most games. Though as commentator Casey Frank pertinently noted, this could simply be attributed to bad defence allowing easy shots to opponents. If they aren’t missing, there’s nothing to rebound after all.

Early on it was very close. The Breakers struggled with their transition defence and were prone to leaving inconceivably clear paths to the basket. Add that to a quarter of great shooting from the visitors, led by the league’s leading scorer Chris Goulding (23pts 3reb) and Melbourne had themselves some early leads. But the locals fixed it up, conceding just 12 points in the second, and with Vukona’s rebounding and some top notch 3 point shooting, NZB held a 41-38 HT lead. Mika Vukona had a double-double with a few mins left in the second!

Corey Webster (9pts 2ass) logged some good minutes, Kerron Johnson (13pts 2ste) took some initiative with his jump shots, and CJ Bruton (5pts 6ass) had a great game as the Breakers guards seemed to dominate. Daryl Corletto did have a quiet game against his old team. In the fourth, the Breakers ran away with it, pushing out to a 13 point lead at one stage. Tom Abercrombie (14pts 5reb) continued on his hot streak, but it was Mika Vukona who stole the headlines with easily the best single game performance by a Breaker this year. He finished with 14 points, a tied career high 17 rebounds, and 8 assists, with 3 steals and a block to boot. The win puts the kiwis up to a 4-6 record, potentially just a single win out of the playoffs. Next up is the black hole fixture in the NBL season: Away to Perth…

Stocks Up

CJ Bruton. One of the best games the veteran has played all season. When CJ is putting in the effort like on Thursday you can really see the influence he has on this team. His minutes may be falling, and his production wavering some, but CJ Bruton is still the spiritual leader of this team. And his passing (he had 6 assists) was nothing short of sublime.

Stocks Down

Alex Pledger. The big fellas had a couple of subpar games. There’s still nobody else who can match him on this roster for size and pure rebounding ability. Plus that hook shot is lookin’ fine. But with Vukona honing in on the boards like Blake Griffin to an endorsement deal, Pledger needs to lift his occasionally lackadaisical game or risk stepping down a rung or two on the ladder of influence.

Play of the Game

Not enough credit is given in highlight reels to the great defensive plays that are every bit as crucial to a victory as the flashy dunks and slick passes. Here it comes from one of the most unlikely sources: The Veteran Himself, CJ Bruton. CJ gets up for a big block (which was ungenerously given to Alex Pledger), then the hustle and bustle to recover the loose ball. Top work, son!

Match MVP Points

Mika Vukona 3

Tom Abercrombie 2

CJ Bruton 1

Season MVP Standings

Mika Vukona 16

Kerron Johnson 12

Alex Pledger 10

Up Next

Friday, 11pm: Perth Wildcats vs NZ Breakers, Perth Arena (NZT)