Breakers downed in ANBL opener by Bullets
- Dave Worsley
- Sep 19
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 22
Not the start to the new season the NZ Breakers wanted as they lost 104-95 to the Brisbane Bullets at Spark Arena.
A large chunk of the damage was done by New Zealand Tyrell Harrison who scored 24 and pulled down 15 rebounds for the Bullets.
The Breakers suffered from giving away too much possession, but were in the game and just looked a little rusty as they battled the illness which has rocked the squad in the season buildup.
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The Bullets put the game to bed with a 9-2 late in the piece on the way to the nine-point win.
Casey Prather scored the Bullets' first seven points and finished with 27 on the back of knocking down 4/8 from three-point territory.
Harrison was imposing at centre while former league MVP Jaylen Adams (14 points, seven assists, six steals) and gun import Javon Freeman-Liberty (17 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals) had their moments.
The Breakers went 1/14 from long-range in the first half and finished off going 5/29 for the game and contributed 16 turnovers, including three in consecutive plays to undo any hope of a final-quarter comeback.
Breakers import Izaiah Brockington (16 points) couldn't get a foothold in his NBL debut while Parker Jackson-Cartwright (16 points) had 12 assists but six turnovers.
Sam Mennenga battled hard for 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists with Rob Baker II showing encouraging signs in 19 minutes with 12 points and five boards while returning veteran Reuben Te Rangi contributed 12 points with a couple of three-pointers.
The Bullets will sweat on a knee injury to veteran guard Mitch Norton though, who was carried off the court in the second quarter.
Back home after being part of the NBA championship with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Alex Ducas (10 points, three assists) hit two early triples and showed he too will be useful for Lash.
Freeman-Liberty showed off his explosive leap for a fast-break dunk before an Adams floater, after Carlin Davison's missed slam at the other end, gave the Bullets a two-point half-time lead.
There were 24 lead changes in the first half but only two more after the main break with Sam McDaniel (10 points) and Adams both making plays to extinguish Breakers revivals.
The Breakers have the quick turnaround to hitting the road for the first time in NBL26 to take on Melbourne United at John Cain Arena on Sunday while the Bullets remain on the road to Cairns and Adelaide next Friday and Sunday.
BRISBANE BULLETS 104 (Prather 27, Harrison 24, Freeman-Liberty 17)
NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 95 (Jackson-Cartwright 16, Brockington 16, Mennenga 14)