NZ Breakers 81-87 Adelaide 36ers

The first game of 2016 didn’t go a whole lot better than the last game of 2015. A below par Breakers performance both defensively and with the ball and suddenly they have a losing streak at home after winning their first eight. It’s also a very dangerous loss as it slips them to fourth and just a win above Adelaide with two games against the Hawks coming up – who they haven’t beaten in two attempts this season.

At least this time it wasn’t nearly so ugly. Tom Abercrombie was back to bring a little balance to the side, which was thusly back to full strength. Still, a missed Corey three to begin the game was a window into the next 40 minutes of basketball.

Instead it was Mika Vukona, in the game that he became the first NZer to make 350 NBL appearances, who got the Breaks on the board with a nice midranger. He’d go on to score their first six points, a reverse layup and another one from mids in a fast paced opening quarter. However a few careless errors from the Breakers were causing turnovers and the 36ers were only too happy to push it in transition.

Conditions weren’t ideal. It had been raining all day in Auckland and it was still very humid at the NSEC come evening. And if you’ve ever played in a gym like that on a damp and sticky night then you’ll know that there’s one major effect: Sweat. And lots of it. It’s a draining way to play, though you’d have expected the team fresh off the international travel to exhibit that more. Then again, the 36ers were very well rested without a game since before Christmas.

There were a few nice plays in there. Cedric with the sneak-up-behind-ya block on Jerome Randle (he had another one of them in the second half too) and also from Tai Wesley who was able to manufacture some offence with a few post ups to keep the score ticking over. But at the end of the quarter it was Adelaide with the solid lead. They had the ball with the shot clock off and up five, working it well to get Ebe Ere a simple layup. Which he missed. Which gave Cedric just enough time to do this:

(I swear to God I knew this was gonna happen as soon as Ere’s shot spilled clear!)

Pretty incredible and it cut the deficit to 25-23. Aside from that bomb, the threes weren’t really falling though, so it was a good thing that the Breakers were able to get to the line more this game. Unfortunately the last five of the second quarter turned to trash and the 36ers sprinted to a 12 point lead at the break. 26 of their 53 points coming in the paint, they had big dudes like Daniel Johnson and Anthony Petrie who weren’t shy to put the ball on the ground and attack off the dribble and the Breakers had no idea what to do about it. Johnson was outstanding. Add in that they shot over 50% and moved the ball far better and Adelaide were worth every bit of their lead. Jerome Randle was having a good game too. His second half was even better.

Whatever words Coach Vickerman said with the oranges it wouldn’t have accounted for giving up five points unanswered to start the 3Q. It wasn’t until almost halfway through the third that Catfish would get his first points. Cedric had tried to feed him, he’d turned the ball over a few times dribbling inside and trying to flip a pass to a big instead of taking the shot. For whatever reason, the boards weren’t falling his way either. But they did on this occasion, Ced missing a three and his namesake putting it back where it belonged. With a couple of home court calls and some luck, the Breakers went on an 11-0 run to cut the lead to as little as two. Corey tied it at 65 early in the fourth.

Now from this situation you’d expect this team to run on home with the W. They’d played through their struggles and seemingly figured out a way to stop the Sixers from scoring. Not so.

It won’t shock you in the slightest that the turning point came at the free throw line, although it may shock you that it was Abercrombie – a guy who usually shoots FTs in the low/mid 70s. Just under three mins to play, down three. Abs gets to the line and he misses both. Next possession Daniel Johnson nails two of his own and the game was never again within one score.

The Breaks had a few chances to launch some hopefuls and see if they could get back into the game like that but the 36ers had covered the three-ball well all game and they weren’t ever gonna make it easy. Maybe if they hadn’t called that foul on Mika with 1:26 left (DJ drawing ‘contact’ on the fadeaway), or maybe if Abercrombie and Jackson had been able to get the rebound from his second miss. But they did and they didn’t respectively. Jerome Randle iced the thing with free throws, hitting all six of his attempts in the last 90 seconds.

Randle would top the game with 25 points, Johnson next up with 23p & 12r. Randle is second only to Corey Webster in the league scoring and he did himself plenty of good here (8 assists too, btw) as Webby had a season-low 12 points (shooting 5 of 20). He was 2 of 12 from 3pt, really killing those figures once and for all with his Hail Marys. Cedric scored 16 with 5 boards, Abercrombie with 13 (11 in the first half) while Alex Pledger had 6p/10r and Tai Wesley 14 points off the bench.

Stocks:

Movin’ On Up Like Curtis Mayfield – Yet the star of the show was undoubtedly Mika Vukona. His best game of the season, he scored 13 points and reeled in 11 rebounds. It was Mika that tried to get the offence going early and it was Mika that tried to spark it late too. Not to mention his always superb defence. Apparently he almost missed the game with a sore ankle? You wouldn’t have thought that in a million years watching him launch himself at loose balls and throw himself into the physical battles. He deserved more from those around him.

Goin’ Down Slow Like Howlin’ Wolf – Corey Webster with the season-low and it was pretty ugly. He finished a nice dribble layup in the first quarter but chances to put it on the floor were limited as teams are really targeting him now. He’ll hardly ever get an open shot anymore, he’s having to pop them over screens and that’s as clear as he gets. This is what happens to leading scorers – the only way to solve this is for others to hit some shots around him and yet Jackson was 2 of 7 (one a half court heave) and Abercrombie was 0 of 3 from deep. Reuben Te Rangi… do we even need to mention he missed all three?

Key Stat

The great man:

Play of the Game

Well obviously it was gonna be this one. Reminiscent of Perth that time, aye?

Season Standings

Cedric Jackson – 26

Corey Webster – 25

Tom Abercrombie – 19

Match MVP Points

Mika Vukona – 3

Cedric Jackson – 2

Alex Pledger – 1

Up Next

Thursday, 9.30pm: Illawarra Hawks vs NZ Breakers, WIN Entertainment Centre (NZT)