NZ Breakers 111-82 Adelaide 36ers

They say the Breakers are a team that peaks for the playoffs. Burgeoning cliché or not, it’s hard to argue after watching an absolute mauling of a team that had won 10 games in a row to that point. Countdown to a quick-draw conclusion… 3, 2, 1… that was one of the best wins in the team’s history.

 I mean, talk about emphatic! Mika Vukona scored the first bucket of the game after an offensive rebound and they held the lead from there. Yes, Adelaide never had a lead. A Tom Abercrombie three with 6:33 to play in the second quarter put an end to the last time the 36ers were within single figures. The difference got as high as 37 points, and only a couple of late buckets got it down to 29 at the buzzer.

Corey Webster was fantastic. He finished the season on a tear, topping his career high points total twice in a row (once against this Adelaide team). Here he plundered 24 points in a playoff game, shooting 60% and hitting 4 triples. The full range of baskets was on show too, driving to the hoop, pulling up, long balls and mid-rangers. So good. After a great World Cup, this was poised to be a big season for Webster. He had his ups and downs but to say this has been anything other than a breakout campaign is wrong. He was on fire from the start of this game, shooting NZB to a 16-2 lead after only 3 minutes.

The number one key to victory was the intensity. An in-form Adelaide team were found severely wanting by a Breakers team that knew how to step it up. High energy. Passion. Mika Vukona laid the foundation as always, he’s one of the best possible incarnations of a Set The Tone player. He leads by example and his teammates surely can’t help but be inspired.

Add to that the fact that the Breakers were keyed in as shooters, 52.6% from the field, and they only turned the ball over a combined 8 times all game. Two weeks ago they lost to this same opposition at this same arena with 42.5% shooting and 14 turnovers.

Tempers flared in the fourth. Adelaide let their frustration get the best of them with the result already gone and that led to a few rough fouls. Obviously Mika Vukona was involved, he and Anthony Petrie taking a tumble, getting all wrapped up and sparking a pile-up. With the result so clearly wrapped up, they even got to run the kids for some extended minutes. Shae Ili scoring 3 points in a little under 5 minutes, and Brad Anderson’s per-36 numbers must be on a record level after scoring 6 in less than 2 minutes.

There were contributions throughout. Cedric had 13p & 10a. Mika 12p & 10r. Uncle Kenny scored 10 with 5 boards, Wesley with 10 points and 7 rebounds. Abercrombie scored 11, Te Rangi scored 10, Pledger scored 9. Every starter got into double figures. Jamar Wilson’s 21 points were valiant for the 36ers but they were dead in the water by the third quarter. It was pure and it was ruthless.

Bring on Game 2 in Adelaide on Saturday!

Stocks:

Movin’ On Up Like Curtis Mayfield – Reuben Te Rangi got some big minutes and responded with one of (if not) his best games of the season. He actually played more minutes than Abercrombie did, albeit largely because of the winning margin. Te Rangi had that game last season where he drilled a bunch of threes and got a few interviews on national telly. This season has seen him struggle from range, hitting just under 24% compared to 2013/14’s 41.7%. He actually took fewer shots in around the same number of minutes this campaign. When he’s being assertive and taking his shots (he was 3-7 in this game), he’s an impressive player.

Goin’ Down Slow Like Howlin’ Wolf – Rhys Carter’s struggles have been real. 16 combined points in his last 6 games. 3-22 from 3pt. This from a guy who hit 5 of 6 trebles in a game against Townsville in December (for 19 points). To be fair, he’s never been a lights out shooter or anything. He’s never averaged more than 8.7 ppg in a season or 35.9% from 3pt in a season. This is still a slump for sure, but it’s much easier to handle when basically every other player is looking on top of it.

Key Stat

Not only was this 29-point hiding the Breakers’ biggest win of 2014/15, but it was their biggest win since the three-peat season of 2012/13, when they won by 30 points exactly on three separate occasions. A 93-62 win over Townsville at Vector on 16 November 2012; a 94-64 win over Melbourne at NSEC on 30 November 2012; a 114-84 win over Melbourne at Vector on 14 March 2013.

Play of the Game

Corey Webster with a pull up three after a trademark hustling Mika Vukona steal. Money.

Match MVP Points

Corey Webster – 3

Mika Vukona – 2

Cedric Jackson – 1

Up Next

Saturday, 9.30pm: Adelaide 36ers vs NZ Breakers, Adelaide Arena (NZT)