Breakers leave it late to sink Crocs

Updated October 19, 2012 23:06:13

The New Zealand Breakers clinched a narrow 73-71 victory over the winless Townsville Crocodiles in Auckland on Friday night.

A driving lay-up by Cedric Jackson in the dying seconds secured the victory for the Breakers, who improve to 2-1 while reducing the Crocs to a 0-3 start to the season.

The hosts led by 11 points with around two minutes left but were made to work to the final buzzer after Townsville were sparked into action by Gary Ervin (21 points).

Mika Vukona starred for New Zealand with 15 points and 15 rebounds, while team-mate Tom Abercrombie also contributed 15.

In Sydney, the Taipans smashed the Kings 88-68 thanks to some fantastic long-range shooting.

Jamar Wilson and Alex Loughton both pitched in 22 and 13 points respectively for Cairns (2-1), while a game-high 26 points from Ben Madgen was not nearly enough to keep the Kings competitive (1-2).

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand, townsville-4810, qld, australia, sydney-2000, nsw, cairns-4870

First posted October 19, 2012 22:46:12

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Breakers thrash 36ers

Updated October 12, 2012 22:45:28

A storming final quarter from New Zealand Breakers saw the defending champions swamp Adelaide 36ers 73-59 in Auckland.

Almost anonymous in last week's lacklustre 93-72 opening loss to Perth Wildcats, young centre Alex Pledger lifted to feature all across the court.

Only Cedric Jackson outscored him with 17, while almost as valuable as Pledger's 15 points was his superb effort in picking up 10 rebounds and limiting Luke Schenscher to two points for the encounter.

While the Breakers lifted noticeably from last week's opener, they struggled until the last quarter of a tight defensive game.

They pressured the 36ers through the court early on, bringing more intensity on defence to out-rebound the visitors 28 to 14 in the first half.

Breakers import recruit Will Hudson was particularly effective on the offensive boards, and picked up nine rebounds overall to go with his nine points.

The 36ers' fast-break game, so efficient last week in their 84-61 first-up win over Melbourne Tigers, was not running smoothly and the Breakers went into the half-time break with a useful 36-29 lead.

But the 36ers fought back to take the third quarter 18-10 and lead 47-46 going into the last spell.

The Breakers kept cool and three final-quarter three-pointers from Jackson catapulted them back in front, as the hosts finally found their rhythm to take out the final quarter 27-12.

For the 36ers, Daniel Johnson top-scored with 15 points, backed up with solid efforts from Anthony Petrie's 13 and Adam Gibson's 12.

In other results, the Kings upset Melbourne Tigers 85-82 in Sydney and Wollongong Hawks downed the Taipans 68-58 in Cairns.

AAP

Tags: basketball, nbl, sport, new-zealand

First posted October 12, 2012 20:31:11

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Breakers slump to season-opening loss

Updated October 05, 2012 22:03:01

Perth Wildcats dragged the two-time defending champions New Zealand Breakers down to earth courtesy of a 93-72 win in Friday's NBL season opener.

In front of a sell-out Auckland crowd, the Wildcats gained some measure of revenge for their loss to the Breakers in last year's grand final series, applying pressure that caused the rusty-looking hosts to crumble.

The Wildcats' defensive heat and some clunky Breakers offence were behind a lopsided second quarter, which saw the visitors open up a 54-34 half-time lead.

The hosts made little headway on that margin throughout the second half as the Wildcats turned what had been touted as a tantalising opening match between two teams expected to feature prominently this season into a coasting victory.

The Wildcats dominated nearly every important statistic, most notably shooting accuracy where their 53 per cent ratio eclipsed the Breakers' 44 per cent.

They also won the rebound battle 36-24 and scored 44 points in the paint compared to 26 from the hosts.

Having opened up an early six-point lead, the Breakers slumped to trail by as much as 25 late in the second quarter as the offensive fluency that has carried them to the last two titles deserted them.

Forward Matthew Knight led all scorers with 24 for the Wildcats, getting good support from Shawn Redhage (19), Damian Martin (18) and Kevin Lisch (16).

Breakers star guard Cedric Jackson was kept quiet in the first half but still top-scored for them with 16 and Dillon Boucher was next best with 11.

Meanwhile, the Hawks held off Sydney Kings to win their encounter 79-76 in Wollongong.

AAP

Tags: basketball, nbl, sport, new-zealand, perth-6000

First posted October 05, 2012 20:21:33

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Breakers down Crocs to level series

Updated April 05, 2012 23:47:24

The New Zealand Breakers scored a bruising 94-83 win over the Crocodiles in Townsville on Thursday night to send their NBL semi-final series to a deciding third game.

The Breakers were shocked 99-82 in Auckland in game one last Friday by the Crocs, who now need to repeat that effort to move into the championship-deciding series against Gold Coast or Perth.

Veteran CJ Bruton hit the clutch triples to finish with 18 points for the visitors, while centres Gary Wilkinson (14 points, six rebounds) and Alex Pledger (12 points, six rebounds) also had a big impact.

Dillon Boucher was also dominant in the first half before suffering a facial injury in the third quarter.

Townsville's Eddie Gill came to life late to finish with 24 points and five assists, and Michael Cedar scored 15 including a stunning 11-point second-quarter run that brought the Crocs back into the game after they trailed by 12 points.

New Zealand guard Cedric Jackson (14 points, five assists) shook off an ankle injury to get the visitors off to a solid start as he registered five points within a minute.

Townsville hit back through an impressive Todd Blanchfield alley-oop, but Boucher, Pledger, Bruton and rookie Leon Henry came off the bench to spark the Kiwis to a 27-17 quarter-time lead.

Michael and Chris Cedar put on a spectacular double-act in the second term for the Crocs, scoring 16 points between them to close the gap to four.

But eight points from Pledger, often from Boucher's exquisite passes, ensured New Zealand took a 14-point lead into the long break.

The third quarter proved a physical affair as emotions ran high amid a more committed rebounding effort from Townsville.

Boucher left the court with blood flowing from his mouth after a collision with Bruton in the sixth minute.

Consecutive baskets from Luke Schenscher and Peter Crawford, accentuated by a charge foul on Mika Vukona, then sent the crowd into overdrive.

Townsville surged within five points before two enormous triples from Bruton took the wind out of the crowd's sails and restored a double-figure advantage.

The intensity continued in the final quarter, a Gill three-pointer making the score 74-68 as he desperately rallied the home team.

But a tough Jackson fade-away and Daryl Corletto's first two buckets of the game - both long bombs - ended Townsville's hopes.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, qld, townsville-4810, australia, new-zealand

First posted April 05, 2012 23:47:24

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Stomach bug scare for Breakers

Updated April 17, 2012 14:28:10

A stomach bug has struck three members of the New Zealand Breakers squad ahead of game two of the NBL finals series against Perth on Friday.

Already dealing with the absence of BJ Anthony for the series and an ankle injury which is keeping Thomas Abercrombie out of training, the bug forced Gary Wilkinson, Dillon Boucher and Dion Prewster out of training on Tuesday.

"As if there are not enough challenges in a week like this," coach Andrej Lemanis told media.

"Hopefully, it's just a 24-hour thing and they'll all be good to have a good session tomorrow because we need one."

Wilkinson, the starting centre, and Boucher, a defensive terrier who makes an impact from the bench, are key players the Breakers will not want to do without.

The Breakers beat the Wildcats 104-98 in overtime of a thrilling game one at Vector Arena in Auckland last Thursday and can secure the best-of-three series if they can win in Perth on Friday.

Should the Wildcats win, the title will be decided at Vector Arena next Tuesday.

Abercrombie did not play in the first finals match after injuring his ankle in the third semi-final against the Townsville Crocodiles but Lemanis says he is likely to play some part in Friday's match.

The Breakers are due to train again on Wednesday before flying to Perth on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Wildcats centre Luke Nevill and forward Matt Knight are expected to play on Friday despite setbacks.

A scan cleared Knight of major damage to his thumb, which he hurt last Thursday, while Nevill is expected to recover from an illness, the West Australian reported.

AAP

Tags: sport, basketball, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted April 17, 2012 14:25:51

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Crocs thump Breakers in first semi

Updated March 30, 2012 21:02:59

Townsville has a great chance of knocking the top-seeded New Zealand Breakers out of the NBL finals after an upset 99-82 first semi-final victory in Auckland.

The Breakers could not overcome a strong Crocodiles defence in the first of the best-of-three semi-final series and were blown away with hot shooting by the visitors in a 30-18 third quarter.

The Breakers will now have to repeat last year's effort against Perth of scoring an away victory in their second semi-final to have a chance of repeating their 2011 title.

The Crocodiles made a quick start, but the home team held firm and a three-pointer in the last minute by Leon Henry took the Breakers to a 21-19 lead at quarter-time.

Seven straight points after the break took the Crocodiles to a 26-21 lead, though the Breakers quickly replied with a seven-point run of their own.

The Crocodiles stayed in touch for the rest of the quarter, and a three-point play from bench player Elvin Mims helped the Crocodiles take a 44-41 lead into the half-time break.

There was only one team playing in the third quarter.

Jacob Holmes was strong at both ends of the court, leading the visitors to 30 points, while the Breakers could not get any momentum offensively and were down 74-59 at the end of the quarter.

The locals tried to get going in the final quarter but were always playing catch-up and now face having to win in Townsville if they are going to make the final.

Mims, Holmes, Eddie Gill, Peter Crawford and Luke Schenscher all got into double figures for the Crocodiles, with Holmes and Schenscher also making a big rebounding impact.

"As good as it is to win one, you need to win two before you can actually say you've done anything," Crawford said.

Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis said it had been difficult to get the team going in the week leading up to Friday's game and they needed to improve their intensity to make it to the final.

"We didn't play to our normal level tonight," he said.

"I don't think that was a Breakers-style performance and I think we'll play better on Thursday."

The Crocodiles led by three at half-time but a 30-18 third quarter by the visitors forced the hosts into catch-up mode in the final quarter and they were unable to respond.

"I think we executed our game plan about as well as I could hope for, at both ends of the floor," Crocodiles coach Paul Woolpert said.

"We did a good job of executing at the offensive end and getting good shots and I think that helped take away their transition game."

AAP

Tags: sport, basketball, nbl, new-zealand, townsville-4810

First posted March 30, 2012 20:26:26

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Breakers clinch back-to-back titles

Updated April 25, 2012 10:02:50

New Zealand held off a fighting Perth Wildcats outfit to successfully defend its NBL title with a 79-73 game three win in Auckland on Tuesday night.

The Breakers became the first side to win consecutive titles since Sydney Kings in 2002-2005, a championship team that veteran New Zealand guard CJ Bruton was also a part of.

The 35-year-old guard, who has won NBL titles with Sydney in 2004 and 2005, Brisbane in 2007 and New Zealand last year, showed his big game experience with a cool 16 points, going 4-of-7 from downtown and adding three rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Bruton was awarded the Larry Sengstock Medal for the Most Valuable Player of the series, to roars from the 9,000-strong home crowd at Vector Arena.

This time around Bruton put the Breakers up by seven with a three-point dagger with less than two minutes to play thanks to an offensive rebound from team-mate and 2011 finals MVP Tom Abercrombie.

"I'm never going to shy away, you've got to know that from the start of my career to the end," Bruton told Grandstand.

"At the end of the day I want to go down in history as one of the great players and if I shy away from stuff like that I'm not going to get there, I'm not going to go into that category."

Breakers forward Gary Wilkinson led all comers with 23 points while centre Alex Pledger went 4-of-6 for 13 points and Abercrombie had 12 and four rebounds.

Bruton was full of praise for his team-mates not only for their performances on Tuesday night but throughout the title defence.

"I also want to bring my team to special places and obviously they did all the legwork," he said.

"I was injured part of the year ... we had a great group of guys who committed to the team, committed to becoming one and the results are what they are."

Despite Bruton's heroics the Wildcats would not give up and, with a minute to play, Perth skipper Shawn Redhage made a huge three-pointer in the context of the game.

Bruton drained another three-pointer but star Wildcats guard Kevin Lisch hit back instantly with a slick lay-up at the other end.

Cedric Jackson then went to the charity stripe for the Breakers and coolly drained both free throws to push the margin back to six.

A steal from Jackson then saw Lisch dish off to Redhage under the basket, but he got a taste of his own game two medicine when his low-post shot was sensationally blocked by Abercrombie.

The Wildcats' foul count sent New Zealand to the line again where Bruton dropped two free throws to ice the game.

Having signed a new two-year deal with the Breakers, Bruton said his legacy was not yet complete at the club.

"All I know is back-to-back titles is something that hasn't been done in a long time," he said.

"But now I'm already thinking about the future of this club.

"I want to leave here with four titles.

"I plan on obviously everyone's going to get better over time and you've just got to keep doing the little things."

The Breakers scored eight of the first 10 points, but the game tightened up soon after.

New Zealand shooters found their range from three-point range, but the Wildcats worked several unopposed lay-ups and by quarter-time the home team was in front by just 22-21.

Despite centre Luke Nevill getting into foul trouble, the Wildcats got their noses in front in the second quarter, forward Matthew Knight outstanding with 11 points in the quarter.

The Wildcats dominated rebounds but a number of steals kept the Breakers in the game and two quick baskets to Breakers guard Jackson brought them to within two points at half-time.

The Breakers had the ascendancy in the third quarter, winning a number of turnovers and keeping Lisch quiet.

They neutralised all the Wildcats on offence bar Redhage, and would have taken more than a four-point lead into the final quarter but for some missed free throws from Jackson.

Some quick baskets to Pledger gave the Breakers an eight point lead shortly into the final quarter but the Perth defence tightened and three-pointers to Lisch and Cameron Tovey drew the Wildcats level with seven minutes to go.

Four points to Wilkinson put the Breakers back in front and the late heroics from Bruton and Abercrombie sealed the hometown victory.

The series was sent to a third and decisive contest after Redhage's incredible defensive play sealed the Wildcats an 87-86 win in Perth last Friday night.

New Zealand took the early lead in the best-of-three series with an overtime 104-98 victory at Vector Arena 11 days ago.

Both teams battled injury and illness concerns throughout the series with the Breakers suffering a stomach bug in their camp and key Perth players Damian Martin (ankle) and Greg Hire (illness) coming into game three at less than 100 per cent.

Martin told Grandstand that his injury was less painful than the result.

"I gave it my best shot with the ankle but obviously it wasn't good enough to try and keep up with Cedric Jackson and CJ Bruton," he said.

"I'm just really disappointed that I couldn't really participate as much as I'd have liked to.

"There were times where I thought I could go 70, 80 per cent then all of a sudden it would give way again.

"It was just a reminder that it wasn't to be tonight for myself or for the boys."

ABC/AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted April 24, 2012 19:30:18

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NBL grand final preview: Breakers v Wildcats

Corbin Middlemas in Auckland

Updated April 12, 2012 16:20:21

Game one of the NBL grand final series has arrived. After 126 regular season matches and six play-off games, tonight the two premier teams in the competition face off at Auckland's Vector Arena.

The rivalry between these two teams is anything but manufactured. It has been built on engrossing tussles and mutual respect.

These sides have shared the past two championships while New Zealand holds a 2-1 series split over the Wildcats this season, separated only by a thrilling overtime result in Perth in which the Wildcats blew a nine-point lead in the last quarter.

Adding to the hostilities, the Wildcats have not forgotten it was the Breakers who ended their championship defence 12 months ago.

"Last year I truly believe if we'd had (Shawn) Redhage we would have won the championship," Perth coach Rob Beveridge told ABC Grandstand.

"We won game one over here in the semi-final series and it was an incredible game by (Kirk) Penney and (Kevin) Braswell at home. We were very much disappointed we didn't go through to the grand final."

The Breakers have again provided an injury byplay to the week, this time centred around star swingman Thomas Abercrombie.

The reigning finals MVP landed awkwardly on his ankle late in game three against the Crocs, and the injury has been the most talked about topic in the lead up to tonight's fixture in Auckland.

It is a sight the Wildcats are all to familiar with, following Mika Vukona's starring comeback from a knee injury to pull in 10 rebounds in last year's semi-final in Perth.

"I'm not buying into it at all," Beveridge said.

"Right now I know Abercrombie will be playing, simple as that. We've prepared as if Abercrombie is going to be there. We haven't changed any game plan whatsoever."

Tonight will also be the first time the Wildcats have played at Vector Arena.

The stadium hosted five Breakers fixtures this season, of which the home side won four.

Their only loss came in game one of the semi-final series against Townsville.

The NBL has declared tonight's game a sell out. Vector Arena seats 9,190 spectators, and tonight's crowd is almost certain to set a new Breakers club and New Zealand basketball attendance record.

Coach Beveridge was impressed when Wildcats had their first look at the arena during today's shoot around.

"I keep saying to our players, this is a very special moment, six of us have experience winning a championship but for the other five players it's going to be fantastic for them to absorb this atmosphere."

Among those five players is Matthew Knight, who celebrates his 100th game, and Luke Nevill who reaches the 50-game milestone.

The Wildcats understand the importance of claiming game one as the traveling team.

"We think if we can win today, we feel fantastic about going home and closing it in two," Beveridge added.

"But that's the Cinderella story, we'd love to do it on our home court."

Of the past 26 grand final series, just four times has a side recovered from defeat in game one to win the championship.

Moreover, it has happened only twice in 20 attempts where travel is such a factor.

In the last 20 best-of-three series in the NBL, the team ranked higher has won 19.

Tickets for game two in Perth on Friday, April 20, sold out within minutes of going on sale to the general public yesterday.

Live coverage of game one can be heard on ABC Grandstand Digital and streaming online from 5:30pm EST, 3:30pm WST.

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted April 12, 2012 13:54:29

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Breakers advance to grand final again

Updated April 07, 2012 20:18:46

New Zealand will chase back-to-back NBL titles after winning through to the grand final series with a 97-80 game three win over Townsville in Auckland on Saturday night.

The best-of-three series was tied at 1-1 coming into the clash after both sides grabbed road victories in games one and two.

A tight affair was eventually taken by the defending champion Breakers after the hosts pulled away in the fourth period to win.

CJ Bruton led New Zealand with 20 points, while Tom Abercrombie and Daryl Corletto chipped in with 19 each in front of nearly 7,500 fans.

But in a sour note for the Breakers Abercrombie limped off in the dying minutes after a hard foul by Peter Crawford, who was called for an unsportsmanlike foul.

Crawford was the best of the Crocodiles with 24 points, with Luke Schenscher adding 19 and eight rebounds.

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand, townsville-4810, qld, australia

First posted April 07, 2012 20:18:46

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Breakers down Wildcats in OT

Updated April 13, 2012 06:07:00

New Zealand Breakers moved a step closer to defending their NBL title with a pulsating overtime victory against Perth Wildcats in game one of the grand final series in Auckland.

The Breakers and Wildcats were deadlocked at 84-84 at full-time, before the home side edged ahead in the extra period to triumph 104-98.

It was a thrilling game in which the Wildcats came back from a 15-point deficit at half-time to lead well into the last quarter before the Breakers, who were without swingman Thomas Abercrombie, came back to force overtime in the first of the best-of-three game series.

"It's really hard to take because we set very high standards with the Wildcats, with work ethic and intensity," Wildcats coach Rob Beveridge told Grandstand.

"We want to outwork teams and we didn't do that consistently enough."

Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis felt the game proved to be the ideal endorsement for the NBL.

"That's what grand finals should be about, two teams going at it giving it everything they've got," he said.

"Players making plays, massive swings of momentum throughout and everyone staying focussed on the task.

"So, I think that's good for the league."

The Wildcats started brilliantly, scoring the first 11 points and getting Abercrombie's replacement Leon Henry into early foul trouble.

But the Breakers offence, orchestrated brilliantly by Cedric Jackson, came quickly back with a barrage of three-pointers and a 14-0 run helped the hosts take a 28-24 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Breakers continued their momentum in the second quarter, keeping the Wildcats to just 11 points in the term with some stellar defence, while scoring 22 themselves to lead 50-35 at half-time.

Any thoughts the game would be one-sided were blown away when the Wildcats, led by Kevin Lisch and Matthew Knight, dominated the early stages after the break to take a 54-53 lead four minutes into the third quarter.

The Breakers managed to regain their composure and led at three-quarter time, but the Wildcats were the better team early in the last quarter. They had a six-point lead well inside the final period, but some late Jackson points earned a shot at overtime.

The Wildcats led for much of the overtime period but some crucial intercepts and two key plays from CJ Bruton helped the home team secure the points they needed.

Jackson top scored for the Breakers with 25 points, while Lisch posted a game-high 27 points for the Wildcats.

The Breakers will attempt to secure the series in Perth next weekend.

ABC/AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand, perth-6000

First posted April 12, 2012 20:06:16

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Breakers Wildcats pull up sore after first final

Updated April 13, 2012 18:21:20

New Zealand and Perth are sweating on the health of key players in the wake of the Breakers' victory in the first match of the NBL grand final series.

The home side prevailed 104-98 on Thursday night without their NBL All-Star swingman Thomas Abercrombie, while Wildcats forward Matthew Knight picked up a thumb injury which forced him off court during overtime.

"We need to get some scans, but right now he can't buy a trick," Wildcats coach Rob Beveridge said of Knight.

"When he does something he does it pretty good."

The left ankle Abercrombie injured in the third semi-final in Auckland became a major talking point leading into the game and is likely to remain so as the Breakers try to get him fit for game two in Perth next Friday.

"Obviously eight days gives us a bit of hope," coach Andrej Lemanis said.

"It's shown improvement each day and if it shows that same sort of improvement then hopefully he'll be able to at least contribute something."

The first final added another chapter to a sometimes fractious rivalry and Beveridge promised even more passion as they try to prevent the Breakers securing the title in game two.

"I think that we'll be a lot more consistent with our effort levels and intensity levels (in Perth)," he said.

"If we don't we're going to lose the game."

Meanwhile, Basketball Australia (BA) announced late Friday that Larry Sengstock had resigned as chief executive officer of the organisation.

He took on the job in 2009 after NBL clubs and state and territory associations passed a unanimous vote for the unification of basketball at all levels under the governance of BA.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, perth-6000, wa, australia, new-zealand

First posted April 13, 2012 18:21:20

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Blaze enter finals with Breakers win

Updated March 25, 2012 21:48:09

Gold Coast Blaze hammered an undermanned New Zealand Breakers 94-71 in the final regular season match of the season on Sunday night.

With the minor premiership already wrapped up, Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis rested strike weapons Cedric Jackson, Gary Wilkinson, Daryl Corletto and CJ Bruton ahead of the play-offs.

In their place development players Josh Bloxham, Dion Prewster and Morgan Natanahira were called into the side.

Blaze coach Joey Wright ran his full roster to get some form ahead of the play-offs after recent losses to New Zealand and Townsville, and they punished the Breakers with a staggering 12 three-point buckets.

Guard Chris Goulding led the shooting spree with four straight triples in the first quarter on his way to 20 points, while Mark Worthington (13 points) and Adris Deleon (14) also reached double figures.

Tom Abercrombie (15) and Alex Pledger (12) toiled for the visitors, but with the depth of talent rested for the match the Breakers could never truly threaten.

But Leon Henry (11 points, nine rebounds) and Bloxham (10 points, two assists) showed glimpses of the club's future.

The game opened as a three-point shootout with Goulding - promoted to the starting line-up - burying three-consecutive long bombs on his way to 14 points for the quarter.

Worthington added 12 including two triples to hand the Blaze a 31-23 advantage at the first break.

Deleon caught fire in the second term, peeling off 10 quickfire points to set up a commanding 55-34 half-time lead.

The young Breakers showed some pluck in the third quarter as the Blaze took the foot off the pedal, winning the term 22-15, before rallying in the final quarter with a 9-0 run to seal the win.

Gold Coast (third) travels to Perth (second) for its first play-off match on Sunday while New Zealand (first) hosts Townsville (fourth) in Auckland on Friday.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, broadbeach-4218, qld, australia

First posted March 25, 2012 21:48:09

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Breakers stutter to Crocs win

Updated February 23, 2012 21:02:28

The New Zealand Breakers extended its lead at the top of the NBL ladder on Thursday night with a stop-start 81-70 win over the Townsville Crocodiles in Auckland.

The victory came on the back of a strong all-round shooting performance from the Breakers, led by Gary Wilkinson's 22-point, 10-rebound double-double.

Point guard Cedric Jackson provided invaluable support with 18 points and seven assists, while Tom Abercrombie had another strong game, picking up seven rebounds to go with his 18 points.

Guard Eddie Gill topped the scoring for the Crocodiles, picking up 16, while forward Jacob Holmes managed 15.

The competition leaders were all business right from the first whistle. Jackson was everywhere, picking up steals, assists and points with apparent ease while Wilkinson, Abercrombie and CJ Bruton slotted confidence-boosting early three-pointers.

Running hot, the Breakers ended an up-tempo first quarter 29-15 ahead, dominating the offensive boards and running a smothering defence that shut down the third-placed Australians.

Guard Eddie Gill stepped up for the Crocs in the second spell as the Townsville attack finally started to run at the Breakers.

New Zealand's intensity disappeared and their lead eroded gradually, Crocs swingman Peter Crawford sinking a three-pointer right on the halftime buzzer to haul back the Breakers' lead to 46-38 at the break.

The Crocs maintained momentum in the third stanza, Elvin Mimms putting in some excellent work on the offensive boards as the visitors matched the Breakers basket for basket and shaded them 18-17 to go into the last quarter trailing by nine.

The home team continued to struggle for consistency in the final spell, although their stuttering attack finally looked to have sparked into life thanks to a deep three-pointer from Jackson which extended their lead to 10 with six minutes remaining.

But the Crocs battled back, narrowing the lead to just two with less than three minutes left only to see the Breakers regroup, up the defensive pressure and shut out the win in sinking the last eight points of the match.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand

First posted February 23, 2012 21:01:10

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Breakers go top with Wildcats win

Updated February 02, 2012 20:49:19

A decisive third quarter took New Zealand to an 83-77 win over Perth and lifted the Breakers to outright first in the NBL.

Victory in the top-of-the-table clash in Auckland was the Breakers' fifth in a row and improves the defending champions' win-loss record to 15-5.

The Wildcats drop to 14-6, while the result leaves the two sides at 1-1 ahead of their series decider in Perth in early March.

The Breakers shared the scoring around, with five players in double figures, led by Gary Wilkinson with 18.

Cedric Jackson got 15 points, as well as 10 assists, while Mika Vukona also compiled a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

For Perth, Kevin Lisch top-scored with 20, while Shawn Redhage (15) and Luke Nevill (14) also got into double figures.

However, the in-form Jesse Wagstaff, who had a game-high 23 points when the Wildcats beat the Breakers 86-62 in Perth the last time the two sides met, had an off night with just two points in one-from-12 shooting.

In front of their fifth successive sellout crowd in Auckland, the Breakers produced a run of 17 unanswered points in the third quarter.

With Wilkinson, CJ Bruton and Jackson all draining three-pointers, the Breakers jumped from 46-45 down to hold a 62-49 advantage.

Their momentum was halted by a technical foul called on Tom Abercrombie, but they still went into the final period with a 66-54 lead.

Perth never gave up and there were a few nervous moments for the home fans near the end.

A Damian Martin basket reduced the margin to single digits.

When Redhage followed up seconds later with another two-pointer, it was a six-point ball game with 68 seconds to go, but that was as close as Perth got.

Earlier, on the back of some accurate shooting, the Breakers jumped out to a 34-24 first-quarter lead.

But the Wildcats, with Martin a dominant figure, upped their intensity in the second quarter, as the Breakers struggled with the visitors' offensive transition.

Three successive baskets from Nevill put the Wildcats in front and they were still there at the main break, up 44-42.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted February 02, 2012 20:43:07

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Breakers extend ladder lead

Updated February 16, 2012 22:52:28

New Zealand Breakers have gone two wins clear at the top of the ladder after a hard-fought 82-74 victory over Wollongong Hawks in Auckland.

But, second-placed Perth Wildcats, who have played one game fewer, can cut that gap back to one when they host Sydney Kings on Sunday.

Breakers forward Tom Abercrombie led all scorers with 25 points, including 12 in a decisive final quarter, when the home side finally pulled clear.

Team-mate Cedric Jackson added 20 points as well as 10 rebounds, while Joevan Catron topped the scoring for the Hawks with 14.

The home side put the clamps on former Breaker Oscar Forman, who had got a career-high 29 points against them when the struggling Hawks pulled of a 80-64 upset in Wollongong last Saturday.

Forman managed only five points on his return to the North Shore Events Centre, the first of them not until well into the fourth quarter.

While the victory was some revenge for the defending champions, they still lost the season series to Wollongong for the third straight year, the Hawks prevailing on countback after the teams finished 2-2.

The match see-sawed from the start and the visitors took the lead into the first break thanks to a Tyson Demos three-pointer in the final scoring play.

Both teams were guilty of failing to convert easy opportunities as the Hawks managed to hang on for a 40-38 half-time lead.

In the third quarter, the teams continued to go tit for tat on the scoreboard, as exemplified by Demos sinking a three-pointer, only for CJ Bruton to respond immediately with one of his own.

Ahead 56-54 going into the final period, the Breakers increased their defensive pressure and finally began to draw away.

When Abercrombie landed his only triple of the night with three minutes and 34 seconds to go, the Breakers had their biggest lead of the game of 11 points.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, australia, new-zealand

First posted February 16, 2012 22:52:28

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Breakers maintain intensity to beat Blaze

Updated March 15, 2012 23:13:40

New Zealand kept its foot on the gas despite having already wrapped up the NBL minor premiership to cruise to a 109-93 win over playoff hopeful Gold Coast on Thursday night.

In their last regular-season match in Auckland, the defending champions had too much offensive efficiency to go three wins ahead of second-placed Perth.

The result in front of another sellout crowd gave the Breakers a 13-1 home record and also took them to 3-0 in their season series against the Blaze, against whom they have passed 100 points each time.

The two sides are due to meet again in Queensland to close out the round-robin schedule on March 25.

The Blaze, having been on a great run over the second half of the season, have now lost two in a row and are mired in a three-way battle with Townsville and Cairns for two playoff spots.

American import Cedric Jackson was again influential for the Breakers, controlling the play as he produced 12 assists and three steals to go with his nine points.

Top scorer was Tom Abercrombie with 24, while Gary Wilkinson got 20 and Daryl Corletto contributed 18.

The Blaze has six scorers in double figures, led by Anthony Petrie (18) and Adam Gibson (14), but they could not match the Breakers' 58 per cent accuracy from the field.

The home side were in front from virtually the get-go, making light of a high early foul count and being dominated on the boards in the opening quarter.

Their better shooting was in evidence from the start, especially from long range.

CJ Bruton, Leon Henry and Corletto, twice in quick succession, found the mark from beyond the arc as the home side edged into a 23-18 lead at quarter time.

Bruton and Corletto both ended the match with four from six from three-point range.

The Breakers kicked away in the second quarter as their offence moved up a gear.

Up 58-46 at the main break, they did not ease off over the remainder of the contest, with a highlight being Corletto's buzzer-beating running three-pointer to extend the lead to 22 at end of the third quarter.

The Blaze are next away to Adelaide on Sunday, while the Breakers are in action in Townsville on March 23.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand, broadbeach-4218, qld, australia

First posted March 15, 2012 23:13:40

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Breakers clinch minor premiership

Updated March 11, 2012 00:54:34

The New Zealand Breakers clinched the NBL minor premiership on Saturday night with a hard-fought 91-76 victory over the Adelaide 36ers.

The plucky Sixers remained in striking distance for much of the contest but could not sustain the pressure long enough to seriously challenge the top side.

New Zealand led each of the first three quarters with last-gasp buckets and its composure was the difference between the two sides.

The visitors had too many offensive weapons as Thomas Abercrombie collected 10 of his 22 points in the final quarter, Gary Wilkinson nailed 21 and Cedric Jackson struck early to finish with 17 points and seven assists.

Daniel Johnson continued his consistent season with 21 points and nine rebounds for Adelaide, while Diamon Simpson scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

The opening 10 minutes were dominated by two players, Jackson sparkling with 13 points while Johnson was dominant under the ring with 12.

It was an even battle until an 11-0 New Zealand run - capped by a Jackson-to-Abercrombie buzzer-beating alley oop - opened up a nine-point buffer at the first break.

Adelaide regrouped in the second quarter with a greater involvement from Simpson and a stronger resolve on defence, drawing level in the shadows of half-time.

But a costly turnover allowed Jackson to give New Zealand a 47-45 advantage at the long break.

It was scrappy beginning to the second half with just one bucket for each team in the opening three minutes.

An arm-wrestle ensued from that point, but a Simpson dunk and three-point play a short time later fired up the crowd.

But their excitement was short lived with Wilkinson dropping a buzzer-beating triple to put the Breakers nine ahead with 10 minutes to play.

Three-pointers to Abercrombie and Daryl Corletto kept the momentum with New Zealand and the lead quickly ballooned to 17 in the fourth quarter.

The Sixers battled hard but left too much to do in the final minutes.

AAP

Tags: sport, basketball, nbl, new-zealand

First posted March 10, 2012 23:25:36

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Breakers down Wildcats in OT

Updated March 04, 2012 22:23:39

New Zealand Breakers defeated the Wildcats 101-99 in an overtime thriller in Perth.

Gary Wilkinson hit the go-ahead and ultimately game-winning basket with 27 seconds remaining in overtime off another sweet CJ Bruton (seven assists) feed.

Earlier, an amazing Mika Vukona tip-in with eight seconds left in regulation capped an 8-2 Breakers run to send the game into overtime.

Cedric Jackson led the way with 23 points and six assists in another enthralling backcourt battle with Damian Martin (eight points, nine assists, six rebounds).

Wilkinson (18 points), Daryl Corletto, Alex Pledger and Vukona (all 12 points) all played important roles for the winners.

For Perth, Kevin Lisch was superb with 27 points but missed a tough shot to win it in regulation.

Meanwhile, an Adris Deleon NBL masterclass steered Gold Coast Blaze to a 90-83 home win over Sydney Kings.

Deleon blew the Kings away in the second half with a season-best haul of 33 points, killing off a Kings outfit missing star centre Julian Khazzouh.

The Blaze did it mostly without Mark Worthington, who spent much of the second half sidelined with four fouls next to his name.

But Anthony Petrie stood tall with 20 points and nine rebounds, including an important five-point run in his club's dominant third quarter.

Guard Ben Madgen led the Kings resistance with 30 points despite collecting a finger to an eye and an elbow to the mouth during the match.

Anatoly Bose had 22 points and big man Jerai Grant 19, but no other player scored more than six points for the Kings.

The Kings launched a first-half ambush on the fatigued Blaze, who played in Cairns on Friday night, with Shane Heal ordering his charges to outrun their tired opponents.

For the first half it worked, with the Kings claiming a 43-37 half-time lead.

But Deleon caught fire in the third quarter with 14 points - including two three-pointers - as the Kings attack stuttered.

That was the only quarter the Kings lost, but the 29-10 hiding the Blaze dealt out was enough to secure the win.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, perth-6000

First posted March 04, 2012 22:23:39

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Hawks stun ladder-leading Breakers

Updated February 11, 2012 22:26:08

Oscar Forman delivered a game-high 29 points to lead the Hawks to an 80-64 win over NBL leaders New Zealand Breakers in Wollongong.

The Hawks snapped the defending champions five-game winning run.

Forman poured in 21 points in the first half and finished with a perfect 7-of-7 clip from long-range.

Both teams were in blistering form from long-distance, combining for a total of 19-of-44, but the Breakers were broken down by the Hawks' stifling defence in a 16-8 final quarter.

Gary Wilkinson led New Zealand with 16 points, while Daryl Corletto, Cedric Jackson and Thomas Abercrombie each added 12.

The Hawks claimed the opening period 20-14 with Forman providing 10 points, he and Corletto duelling from long-range with four consecutive three-pointers between them.

Forman kept a hot hand in the second, knocking down a pair of vital triples, the second cutting a 6-0 Breakers run and giving the Hawks a seven-point buffer (35-28).

Moments later Forman drained his fifth three-pointer and consecutive buckets by Catron gave the Hawks a 42-32 half-time lead.

CJ Bruton snatched the last points of the half with a runner, ending a rare 20-minute phase that saw the Breakers on the wrong side of a 10-2 turnover count.

Jackson looked to reverse the turnover trend in the third, stealing the ball on the first possession for a breakaway slam as the Breakers scored the first five.

Demos entered the game after Ayinde Ubaka was called for his third foul and sank back-to-back threes to spark a 9-0 Hawks run.

The Hawks led by as many as 12 and absorbed 15 combined points from Abercrombie and Wilkinson to hold a 64-56 advantage heading into the fourth.

Wollongong rode a 5-0 start to the final period, eating almost five minutes off the clock before their backcourt combo of Ubaka and Rhys Martin steered them to victory.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, wollongong-2500, nsw, australia, new-zealand

First posted February 11, 2012 22:26:08

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Breakers back on top after downing Tigers

Updated January 20, 2012 08:06:22

The New Zealand Breakers have moved back to sole leadership of the National Basketball League with a dominant 91-77 victory over the Melbourne Tigers in Auckland.

The defending champions improved their win-loss record to 13-5 on Thursday night to climb above Perth (12-5), although the Wildcats can edge back in front on percentage points when they face Sydney tonight.

Point guard Cedric Jackson again ran the show, and he also weighed in with 12 assists - a category he leads the league in - and 10 points.

He was one of six Breakers to get into double figures for scoring, a list headed by Gary Wilkinson with a game high 21.

The defeat was the fourth in a row for the Tigers, who had gone into the match as a club in turmoil, after owner Seamus McPeake's shock sacking of import Ayinde Ubaka.

But they played with plenty of cohesion in the early stages, and among those who contributed to a sharp start was Liam Rush, who nabbed nine of his team's first 15 points.

Rush ended up as the Tigers' equal top scorer along with Daniel Dillon with 18 points each.

But the Breakers, playing in front a 4,500 full house at the North Shore Events for the third match in row, made their move in a decisive second quarter.

Centre Alex Pledger's dunk from a pinpoint Jackson pass took the Breakers out to a 25-23 lead early in the quarter and from there they were never troubled.

Some slick transition from defence paid dividends for the home side, who opened out a 43-33 cushion by the main break.

A three-point blitz by veteran guard CJ Bruton, who sank three in quick succession, helped the Breakers to a 73-53 lead with a quarter to go and the gap was always going to be too much for the Tigers to claw back.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted January 20, 2012 07:59:42

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