Fast Break Report #6-7: Getting it Done, Getting it Won
Melbourne United 92-98 NZ Breakers
What a lovely weekend to be a Breakers fan. A trip to Melbourne and a quick gap back to AK to play Brissie and they won ‘em both, getting back to 4-3 for the season and suddenly looking super dangerous. Into the playoff spots too, but hey it’s still early doors.
Speaking of, there were some fireworks early on against Melbourne. Majok may have gotten the scoring up and running but the Breakers shot out to a 14 point lead near the end of the first, thanks to a sustained spell of really impressive defence. A few different guys made shots though it wasn’t like they were bossing things through offence. The key was how well they were able to stay active on the ball-handlers. Cedric Jackson had a tough time that quarter, while nobody was shooting well for United. After Kirk Penney sunk a three to make it 15-9 to NZB with 3:25 to go in the quarter, Dean Demopoulos went and subbed out his entire starting five.
Just before the end of the first though, this little blonde haired bugger Kyle Adnam came in and scored 5 quick points to cut the difference slightly. It was a sign of things to come.
The Breakers wouldn’t score for the first two and a half minutes of the 2Q, when Tommy Abercrombie made a triple. In the meantime Adnam had gone and whipped up another 7 points. You wanna know what troubles Cedric was having against his old team? He’d shoot 2 of 13 for the day. Not quite Kevin Durant against the Thunder. However on the back of their bench unit they were able to come storming back and by half-time were only a point behind at 41-40. Yikes.
It was a bit of a surprise that they were able to find depth that way, given that they were already missing both Chris Goulding and Todd Blanchfield. Both are guys who’ve done the Breakers in before and seeing them in street clothes on the sideline was a big reason why this road game was a more than winnable one for NZB. But the Adnam inspired 13-0 run took away all the air from the big first Q. in fact David Andersen had put Melly on top briefly, only for Alex Pledger and Akil Mitchell to combine for the last 9 Breaks points of the half.
It was only delaying the inevitable. When Cedric is sinking back to back free throws, then that’s a sign if ever there’s one. Kirk Penney gave the Breakers some room, though Adnam and Tai Wesley (another ex-Break and one who played great the first time they met) got busy towards the end of the quarter and the game felt like it was slipping away.
When Wesley made a three with six minutes left, the Melbourne lead had hit 9 points. Ben Woodside immediately responded. Abercrombie added another a bit later. Then Alex Pledger thumped a couple from close range and scores were tied again.
Pledger, mate. The Pledgehammer. He was brilliant in this game, one of the best he’s ever played. Not only did he rebound with volume but he showed some rare scoring touch as well. A few silky lay-ups and the odd cruncher of a dunk – funny what a dose of confidence can do for ya. He’d score 20 points with 10 rebounds and you can bet he got top MVP points in this column. 9/10 shooting from the field.
Abercrombie had the Breakers in the lead twice more with triples – he shot 5/6 on the night from deep as part of his 17 points (and 8 rebounds). However after Ramon Moore’s tip-in tied things at 83-all, there wouldn’t be another score in regulation. A Kirk Penney turnover and a missed three from the same man each helping send this bad boy into overtime. Which is where Rob Loe made his name (and earned himself an MVP point at the bottom there).
Corey Webster with the ball, whips it to Loe at the top of the key. Swish, three points. Then they run the same damn play for the same damn result. Loe scored 8 of his 13 points in OT. NZB kept the home side from scoring in the last 40 seconds that followed and Penney made his free throws to be sure. Big win on the road there, top stuff.
But there was a very significant downside to the victory as Ben Woodside left the court in agony midway through overtime. He seemed to do something pulling up at the baseline and watching on the telly you wondered for a horrible second if he’d snapped an Achilles or something. He didn’t appear to roll the ankle and he was almost in tears on the sideline – or maybe it was just the glare of the lights. Anyway he was never gonna be able to play on the Sunday and we can only hope it’s not too serious because the dude was really starting to control and facilitate in the ways the Breakers had brought him in to do.
Woodside was all class in this game as well, 10 points with 9 assists and 4 rebounds. Also 4 turnovers as the Breakers racked up 16 of them but they got there in the end. Penney also scored 17 points though Webster only managed 3 with 1/8 FG shooting. Akil Mitchell also scored 12, meaning that six Breakers were in double figures. Adnam topped for Melly with 19 while Wesley had 17. Jackson and Moore, the two starting MU guards, were a combined 6/29 from the field.
NZ Breakers 86-70 Brisbane Bullets
It sorta felt like the Breakers were putting on another top class opening quarter on Sunday afternoon at Vector here… only to find themselves trailing 23-22 at the buzzer. Odd stuff, having seen Kirk Penney rustling the net with surgeon-like precision on the regular. Not to mention Tom Abercrombie hitting his free throws and Alex Pledger picking up where he left off last time. Except that they let things slip with the bench guys out there, allowing the Bullets to score the last 8 of the 1Q and snatch the lead with a Mitch Young layup.
With no Woody, it was on Webster’s shoulders to start at PG and he didn’t really take to that too well. Not to say he wasn’t up for the task, just that there’s a bit more of an adjustment to be made and having struggled in a scoring-first role off the bench so far, his confidence is bound to be down. Not his resilience though. Webby still threw up what he could when he got a look but nothing was going down. It wasn’t until the second quarter when he managed to find a rhythm as a creator instead, playing off the dribble but looking to flick the ball out to teammates rather than getting tunnel-vision of the hoop. It’s good, he needed a spell like that. The team might need it more as well depending on the prognosis on Woodside.
Believe it or not, it was free throws that carried the Breakers for most of the first half. Twice Kirk Penney was able to pull of those veteran moves, as is the usual description, where he anticipated a bit of contact to earn three trips to the line. Twice. It’s enough to make a coach punch a hole in his clipboard. Even worse when it’s Izzy Tueta doing the same in the third. Penney made 8/10 FTs, while Webster was 6/6 and Abercrombie 8/8. Great work from Tommy, who for the last 18 months has been a head-scratchingly poor free throw shooter. For such a quality jump shooter, that’s ridiculous.
As a team the Breakers were 29/35 at the stripe for 82%. That’s including Akil Mitchell missing a pair as well. Coming back to Corey, he’s had better days. He hardly ever has an ugly miss but he sure knew how to get that ball pinging off the inside of the rim and back out again. Unlike his 3 point pushover on Friday, at least here he found those other ways to contribute and he also cashed in at the line to bank 11 points despite 2/13 shooting. If he can lean further in that direction then things will look sunnier.
Meanwhile Isaih Tueta made the absolute most of his extra responsibilities, knocking down a couple trés at the end of the second to help open up a 47-40 lead at the break. Then he picked up where he left off in the third. His 4 turnovers weren’t particularly endearing though there were 18 from the team all up so it wasn’t only him. It was impressive seeing Tueta looking to lead the break and spark the offence, plus he made his shots so that always helps. 13 points for that dude, by far his best NBL game and he did it against his home state side.
Nobody really scored in that third until the Bullet imports started putting some air on it, Jermaine Beal with a couple triples. Again, free throws and the odd three pointer were the only things ticking the offence over for the home side, with a couple late ones from Brizz ensuring a 65-61 lead after three that was more than catchable.
Or so it seemed until Penney got going again. Three more threes from him extended that advantage and then a bit of top level defence did the rest, keeping Brisbane to only 9 points in the final frame. Yeah, that’ll do the trick alright. Penney ended up with a magnificent 30 points, 8/14 FG. He made 6 3pters. Oh and 7 rebounds and 4 assists. With a game-high +24 while on the court. Safe to say he was the comfortable best on the floor.
The Bullets shot a measly 32% from the field with Cam Bairstow dragging his heels there with 0 points, 0/9 FG. And this dude played NBA last season? Aside from Mitch Young (14 pts, 6 reb) and Jermaine Beal (16 pts), there wasn’t much to remember fondly. The Bullets played well to stay in this thing, riding a full 10-man rotation for all they could, but with the game on the line there they couldn’t find that extra gear.
And the Breakers could. Mika Vukona does nothing all game then comes in and leads that defensive effort. Alex Pledger continues his resurgence with 12 points and 12 rebounds, with 3 blocks. Abercrombie scored 13. The one real disappointment (having already talked about Webster) was Akil Mitchell, who rebounded like a champ and stuck to his man on defence but was flipping up bricks at the other end and turning the ball over too easily. Hey, he’s allowed to have an off day here or there.
Man, this season is starting to get interesting…
Stocks:
Movin’ On Up Like Curtis Mayfield – It can be none other but Alex Pledger, who doubled up in both games and under the threat of Rob Loe’s extra range and athleticism, Pledge has responded by comfortably proving his place in the line-up. Already this season we’ve seen the confidence to shoot from outside the paint though in these two games it was his finishing in close that really paid out. Not to mention how he continues to rip out hearts on defence.
Goin’ Down Slow Like Howlin’ Wolf – Well, the only player who’ll be disappointed by both showings was Corey Webster, however Ben Woodside is the one whose place is in doubt. Not only for next week but potentially even for the whole season. The Breakers are already scouting possible replacements (bear in mind that Tueta is himself a replacement with Shea Ili recovering from a back issue). Such a shame because Woody was really starting to thrive, getting the team into their offensive sets with composure and guile.
Key Stat
Play of the Game
Brissie MVP Points
Kirk Penney – 3
Alex Pledger – 2
Tom Abercrombie – 1
Isaih Tueta – 1
Melly MVP Points
Alex Pledger – 3
Tom Abercrombie – 2
Ben Woodside – 1
Rob Loe – 1
Season MVP Standings
Tom Abercrombie – 11
Alex Pledger – 8
Kirk Penney – 7
Ben Woodside – 7
Up Next
Friday, 7.30pm: NZ Breakers vs Cairns Taipans, Vector Arena (NZT)