Fast Break Finals Report, Game 3: So This is How the Season Ends
Perth Wildcats 75-52 NZ Breakers
Despite a season spent overcoming the toughest adversity, from playing without their best scorer for the first four games to needing an unlikely late winning streak to barely make the playoffs – only to then surge into the finals from fourth place, game three against Perth in front of a capacity crowd almost fit to burst… it was just one step too far for the New Zealand Breakers.
Maybe a couple more steps than that, actually. Because this one, for a championship decider, was hardly close. The home team were too hard, too fast, too good. The Perth Arena crowd were in hysterics by the middle of the game, it’s a league cliché that they have the best crowd in the NBL and that’s hard to argue with after that. In the end, they got their reward too. Despite the many flaws in the Breakers’ performance it simply has to be said that the Wildcats were the better team by a long way and deserving winners. Can’t say fairer than that.
We all knew what the keys were going into this performance. Corey Webster had to carry on the way he finished game two and the Breakers had to slay them on the boards. Cool, that second bit was in focus straight away as Alex Pledger won the tipoff and the Breakers, in the first 40 seconds of the game, won three offensive rebounds on their opening possession. They didn’t score though. Webster and Tom Abercrombie both missed jumpers.
It was Casey Prather, under a bit of pressure having not quite reached his standards yet in the first two games, who got the scoring going with a layup through traffic. The Breakers wouldn’t score until 2:36 into the game, and even then it was a Pledger tip in after an Abercrombie miss. 1/9 to begin things from the kiwi team, at least the good news was that Perth weren’t scoring either. A dodgy goaltend on a Corey Webster shot was an early bonus.
Defence was strong on both sides but Jermaine Beal and Tom Abercrombie tried to heat it up. Webster added three after Tom Jervis let his guard slide. Great start from him, he’d score seven in the first quarter. The sixth and seventh of those points put NZB up 16-12 with 2:53 to play in the first but then the Wildcats finished on a 10-2 run. Shawn Redhage gave them the lead with a treble. Jesse Wagstaff then added another late in the shot clock despite the ball having been kicked into the backfield inadvertently off Webby’s foot. That one stung a little, to almost get a big break and then end up getting stabbed. 22-18 after 1Q.
The rebounds were solid, seven offensive boards already. The seventh came from TA picking up a catapulted long three from Webster early on in the second. 8:26 on the clock and Abs went to the free throw line – the Breakers’ first trip to the line all game. He made both. However turnovers were becoming a real problem. Also, there was barely any sight of Cedric Jackson who was being absolutely hounded by Damian Martin.
And Nate Jawai was too much. There’s too much of him. Catfish Jackson was doing a decent job of it but he’s still undersized in that contest and he took his second foul on Jawai for the and-one. Nobody else had a hope of sticking with Big Nate, the hope was to double team him and they tried that after Charles went out and he still whupped ‘em. The one strategy that worked was to foul him, only all of a sudden they couldn’t seem to rebound. Offensive boards on the end of missed free throws, it’s that same thing of getting a bonus and giving it right back, Perth hounded those boards. They wanted it more and they were sharper off the mark against a tired looking Breakers team. It’d make sense after flying to and fro and to again between Auckland and Perth this week. A brutal schedule, but before we complain we need to remember that this is the handicap for finishing fourth and not first or second. There was daylight beginning to sneak through the scoreboard when Reuben Te Rangi checked in and ran straight into a screen, allowing Beal an open three. Now it was 32-22.
Coach Vickerman, in his final game with the club, demanded better boxing out and rebounding in his time out. Dead right, Vick. NZB may have had 7 but Perth had 10 offensive boards. Tai Wesley made a three, but so did Prather. And those free throws were bloody annoying too. Every time they went 1/2 it felt like points left behind. That matters.
On one hand, Webster could have gotten more credit from the refs as he tried to push it inside a few times. Catfish Jackson brought the hustle however there was plenty of mess. They couldn’t get a shot off on their final two possessions of the half while Damian Martin did and he scored three and it was 42-30 with two quarters remaining. Abercrombie had 12 points but that was about it, Webster was scoreless in the second and Cedric was scoreless for the game. Seriously, it was scary how little impact he was able to make and as a result the Breakers offence was kinda without a compass at times. There needed to be a comeback, there was still plenty of time. Twenty minutes, 12 points down. It’d take a big effort but if the many stars on this team could hit their peaks then there was no reason to think they weren’t capable.
The Breakers were out early before the third, going through shoot-arounds before the Wildcats had emerged from the lockers. It didn’t really help. Mika travelled, Beal made a three. Perth scored the first five points of the quarter and then Nate Jawai drew two fouls on the defensive end. Down by 17. The thing is, while they were clearly behind the running they still shouldn’t have been so far down. Shots weren’t dropping and that included shots that really should’ve gone down, layups and stuff through contact. Drawing fouls is not enough, not with this team’s free throw shooting. To be fair, Perth’s interior defence was really great.
By now it was 53-33 and the reckless errors were setting in. Call it panic, all that they’d worked for this season was slipping away before their eyes and whatever they tried seemed not to work. A Wes floater with 3:33 left in the third counted for their fourth and fifth points of the quarter. They’d only score eight all up. Cedric had four fouls on him and he sat for a long time. Webster couldn’t get free. Nothing was happening inside. We could slaughter the lads for how they were playing but what’s the point? 57-38 down after three and it was blatantly clear where this one was going. Perhaps this is better than knowing you had the chances to win late on and let it slip.
Still, ten minutes remained and there was no reason not to leave it all on the court. Cedric came back in, fair enough. He’s the best player on the team, the Fast Break Report season MVP, and they had to ride him into the ground - it was the only way. But 8:46 to go and Shawn Redhage got Cedric isolated in the post. Foul. That’s him done. It looked like maybe the foul should’ve been called on Webster but they’d have gone back to him the next possession and the next one after that if they had to until they got him back on the bench. 7:22 left and the Breaks were out of timeouts too. Down 62-41.
13,090 red-blooded and red-kitted Perth fans were in raptures now, soaking up the championship that seemed to be coming their way. This was the last chance, Tom Abercrombie scored a quick five points. If it was gonna happen then it had to happen now and it had to happen swiftly. An almighty comeback, one for the ages. Te Rangi made a three.
But no. There was no miracle in the Perth Arena. No incredible late twist in this clash between the two great dynasties of the last decade. A 7-0 run and Perth were up by 25 points. Damian Martin was subbed out with 70 seconds left to chants of “MVP, MVP!” and the celebrations began. Catfish missed two free throws. Te Rangi missed an open layup. The Perth Wildcats won the 2015-16 NBL championship with a 75-52 victory on home court in game three of the finals.
Prather scored 19, Beal scored 14. Abercrombie topped ‘em all with 21 but that was shooting 7/20. Corey Webster did not score after the first quarter and Cedric Jackson didn’t score at all. It was a brutal disappointment but a fair result, the Wildcats too good when it counted however the Breakers deserve a whole lot of credit for making it this far. They were falling out of it two months ago. They were a mess. And they nearly won it all despite that. Brilliant stuff but they came up short in the end.
Damian Martin was the Finals MVP as he won his third ring. A worthy recipient as well as a tip of the cap to the dark arts of defence. What he did to shut down Cedric in this last game was immeasurable.
So that’s it for the season. Runners-up, there’s no shame in that. Next season Paul Henare will take over the head coaching and that’s something to be excited about, though as to what team he’ll have to work with, there’s a bit of a mystery there. Hopefully Catfish will be back and a year more rounded and clever. You’d hope that Cedric will never again leave either – he’ll definitely feel there is unfinished business after this one. A bitter taste to expunge. The real wonder will be if Corey Webster comes back or not. It’s a win-win, really, in that he either plays for the Breakers or he goes on to bigger and better things in America. Cool cool. And there is talent there waiting to step up as well. Shea Ili got some big minutes without Cedric around here and his recent rise has been one of the biggest upsides this season. He’s gotta learn to score to make the next step up. As a small dude but one with springs, that shouldn’t be too much to ask, although he was found out against this championship defence. Te Rangi too, this was a stagnant season when he was meant to take on a bigger role. In some ways he’s blocked by those ahead of him in Tommy and Mika, yet that’s why you need to make the most of your limited time.
Look, these are the Breakers. They’ll be back. But for now we’ve gotta give our props to the Perth Wildcats. The best rivalry in the NBL just took a big swing back in the other direction and there’s no complaining after this game. They were the best team. They are the champions.
