Breakers cap season with Ignite Cup win
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
The NZ Breakers were on a mission on a number of fronts and completed the deal to win the first-ever Ignite Cup championship.
Parker Jackson-Cartwright delivered 23 points in the second half as the Breakers defeated the Adelaide 36ers 111-107 on the Gold Coast on Sunday.
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It was quite the occasion with the prize money and inaugural Ignite Cup trophy on the line at a sold-out Gold Coast Convention Centre, with the Breakers and 36ers producing one of the games of the season.
It had it all too, with no love lost between the two teams and there was a poster dunk from Carlin Davison over both Isaac Humphries and Zylan Cheatham, while Cheatham had his own thunderous alley-oop.
The stars fired too, with Jackson-Cartwright delivering 29 points and five assists for the Breakers and five-time MVP Bryce Cotton 34 points and nine assists for the 36ers.
The Breakers’ fired when it mattered most, outscoring Adelaide 64-53 in the second half.
After blowing game-winning positions this season against the 36ers, the Breakers became the inaugural champions of the Australian National Basketball League’s (ANBL) in-season tournament and with it the $300,000 in prize money.
"This victory is a testament to the character and resilience of this group," said Breakers chairman Marc Mitchell. "This is a proud day for the club and our new ownership, and we are proud to bring the Ignite Cup back home to our fans.”
It was not without a scare late and despite the Breakers leading by five with 10 seconds to go, the Sixers cut that to two with three free-throws from Cheatham.
Sam Mennenga came up clutch with the sealing foul shots on his way to 21 points, four rebounds and three assists in his second game back from a fractured wrist suffered against Adelaide on January 23.
On top of the combined 50 points, eight assists and five rebounds from Jackson-Cartwright and Mennenga, Izaiah Brockington returned after sitting out on Thursday against Cairns for 21 points, three rebounds and two steals on 9-of-13 shooting.
Reuben Te Rangi was in familiar surrounds on the Gold Coast and had 17 points and eight rebounds with Mexican ‘Next Star’ Karim Lopez playing his last game in the ANBL for 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals on 5-of-6 shooting.
Adelaide will now turn their attention to the postseason, having finished the regular season in second at 23-10, awaiting their playoffs opponent.
Cotton returned after being rested in Perth on Friday for 34 points and nine assists, with 13-of-14 free-throw shooting, while former Breaker Zylan Cheatham added 21 points, four rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals.
Nick Rakocevic also had 21 points and 11 rebounds on 8/10 shooting but ultimately that trio did not get enough help to get the job done.
It was a frantic start and a couple of three balls from Lopez and Te Rangi helped the Breakers to a narrow lead which they maintained heading into quarter-time.
Te Rangi had 10 points and the Breakers were shooting 73 percent from the field while hitting all four three-point attempts to be leading the Sixers 28-25 after one.
Adelaide shot out of the blocks with the first nine points of the second quarter, sparked by Cotton to open up a six-point lead, and they were able to convert that into the 54-47 halftime edge.
That was on the back of 17 points and seven assists from Cotton and 15 points on 5/5 shooting from Cheatham, but the Breakers kept in touch with four players having at least nine points and none of those were Jackson-Cartwright.
It was the Breakers’ turn to grab back the momentum to start the second half and they started it with a 10-2 run topped off with a triple from Jackson-Cartwright.
However, just before three quarter-time it was the 36ers who grabbed back the momentum with a 13-3 run including three balls from Rakocevic and DJ Vasiljevic to be up one heading into the fourth.
Again the Breakers came out strongly with a 12-2 run, sparked by Jackson-Cartwright. and that saw their lead get out to as many as seven, and was still six with 45 seconds to play.
The drama still was there especially when both Cotton and Cheatham made all three free throws after being fouled attempting threes in the dying stages, but four clutch Mennenga foul shots sealed the Ignite Cup triumph.
NZ Breakers 111 (Parker Jackson-Cartwright 29, Izaiah Brockington 21, Sam Mennenga 21, Reuben Te Rangi 17, Karim Lopez 12) Adelaide 36ers 107 (Bryce Cotton 34, Zylan Cheatham 21, Nick Rakocevic 21, Isaac Humphries 10). 1Q: 28-25, HT: 47-54, 3Q: 81-82
