Breakers score complete win over Bullets
- Dave Worsley
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
The NZ Breakers have put together a complete performance in the first half with 68 points of their 113-84 win over the Brisbane Bullets on the Gold Coast.
Having scored just 79 and 72 points in tight losses to Sydney and Adelaide last round, the Breakers put up 68 points in the first half to be leading by 32 by half-time on the back of a 41-point second term.
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In the second half the Breakers defensive pressure lit up their offence where they shot 15/18 from the field and 6/7 from downtown to blow Brisbane away.
The Bullets came back from 24 points down to beat the Breakers in their last meeting, there were no signs of that this time around with New Zealand claiming six of the seven Ignite Cup points on offer.
Sam Mennenga got the better of his Tall Blacks big men battle with 25 points and six rebounds on 10/16 shooting with Parker Jackson-Cartwright putting on a clinic with 15 points and seven assists.
Izaiah Brockington added 19 points on 8/10 shooting, Karim Lopez 13 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Rob Baker II 12 points and 11 boards with New Zealand shooting 58 per cent for the game with 12/24 from downtown.
It was a horror night for Brisbane going 6/34 from behind the arc and outside of what Casey Prather provided, Dakota Mathias had 12 points, Harrison 11 points and seven rebounds, and Alex Ducas 11 points, five assists and three steals.
Prather was a lone shining light for the home side at the Gold Coast Sport and Leisure Centre with 26 points, eight rebounds and four assists before landing badly on his knee going up for a layup early in the fourth quarter.
Prather appeared to immediately know what he had done and left the court devastated while the Breakers completed the job on the eventual 29-point victory.
The Bullets rallied after Prather's injury to win the final quarter and at least take one point from the Ignite Cup.
The Breakers face a Perth Wildcats back home after beating Bryce Cotton's Adelaide 36ers.
NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 113 (Mennenga 25, Brockington 19, Jackson-Cartwright 15)
BRISBANE BULLETS 84 (Prather 26, Mathias 12, Harrison 11, Ducas 11)