Breakers come up short in Blitz to Sydney
An undermanned Breakers were beaten 74-95 by NBL defending champion Sydney Kings at the NBL Blitz 26 in Bendigo at the annual pre-season tournament.
With Head Coach Gordie Herbert only just back from the FIBA window with the Canadian national team, assistant Sebastian Gleim was handed the reins minus three big weapons, with Sam Mennenga (ankle), Kouat Noi (knee), and Izayah Le’afa (foot) all watching courtside.
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Playing the first of four planned pre-season games, the New Zealand outfit paid the price for a poor third quarter against a Kings side shooting the ball at a superb 42% from deep.
The Breakers struggled by comparison on the offensive end of the floor, converting the three-ball at just 23% and committing 15 turnovers to the Kings 7.
The Breakers started strongly, with Reuben Te Rangi, Josiah-Jordan James, and Preston Le Gassick all making triples in a high scoring opening quarter, but the Kings were deadly from deep too, landing 5 of 6 in the opening stanza to lead 30-24.
The second quarter saw defence step up a little as the two teams went toe to toe but the long-range shooting issues started to hurt the Breakers, going one of seven in the quarter to trail 44-51 at the main break, still very much in the contest.
The effort of a 9-man rotation this early in the season showed in the third quarter as the New Zealand side struggled to find their shooting legs from outside the arc, landing 1 of 9 in a ten-point showing.
Defensively the effort was there, matching the Kings on the boards and fighting on every possession to restrict the Kings to 20 in the quarter, but that was enough to double the Breakers output and put the game to bed.
While disappointed to lose, stand in Head Coach on the night Sebastian Gleim looked beyond the result in his side’s first serious hit out of the pre-season.
The best for the Breakers on the night were Parker Jackson Cartwright (15 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists); Josiah Jordan James (11 points, 5 rebounds); Carlin Davison (11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists); and Canadian import Charles Bediako (9 points, 6 rebounds).
The Kings were led by Makuach Maluach’s 22 points (12 in the first quarter) and were boosted by the return of two former NBA stars in Torrey Craig and Mathew Dellavadova, with Craig finishing with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.
NBL Blitz 26
Bendigo, Victoria
BNZ Breakers 74
Sydney Kings 95
