Breakers' big win brings big belief

The first 34 minutes of Petteri Koponen's coaching career went almost perfectly and he wants his New Zealand Breakers team to now believe they are capable of winning.

Koponen never doubted that the Breakers team he had to work with coming into NBL25 had the ability to be successful, as he begins his professional coaching journey after a glittering playing career, but he felt his players might not have fully believed.

The Breakers then had the challenge of tackling the Brisbane Bullets' front-court, Tyrell Harrison and Rocco Zikarsky, on Saturday night at HBF Stadium, without suspended import centre Freddie Gillespie.

What Koponen's team delivered was some brilliantly executed basketball. Their offence was flowing as they shot the ball at over 63 per cent in the first half, with 8/12 from three-point land on the way to opening up a 26-point lead in the third quarter.

Defensively they were clicking too and taking the Bullets out of anything they were trying to run, and with Sam Mennenga leading the way in his first game for his hometown team up front, the Breakers nullified Brisbane's bigs.

Everything was going even better than Koponen's could have scripted with a 23-point lead with six minutes to go, but then things took a turn. The Bullets upped the pressure, started pushing the pace and taking quicker shots, and started trapping and pressing.

It worked, as they forced the Breakers into six final quarter turnovers and suddenly had got within two points in the dying seconds, before Parker Jackson-Cartwright iced the game for New Zealand at the foul line on his way to 20 points and 11 assists.

"The first 30 minutes we were excellent and we had a great game plan that worked, and the guys were focused from the beginning," Koponen said.

"The most important thing from this win is that the guys showed themselves that they can win in this league. Now we don't have to be scared anymore in the last quarter, they can handle the business. A win is a win and it's a good way to start, and we'll keep improving."

What happened in the last six minutes with Brisbane going on an 18-2 run and finishing the game outscoring New Zealand 31 to 12 gives Koponen some teaching points of how his Breakers can handle when the opposition turns up the heat.

"This is something that we need to learn and get better at to keep our poise, and don’t make stupid mistake or give the gift with turnovers," he said.

"When we are up like this, we just have to control the game better but it's a new team, we are learning and getting to know each other and how we want to play.

"The most important thing was that we should ourselves that we don’t have to be scared anymore, we can win in this league and next time I hope we can play 40 minutes solid."

Given the Breakers did end up holding on for the win in a nervy finish, it's almost the perfect first-up teaching game for Koponen.

"I've seen that we are getting better step by step during practices, and this was a game where everything clicked," he said.

"For 30 minutes it was really good and we knew how to play, and how to execute, and that's a great first step.

"There's a lot of room to improve and like any new team, it's step by step that we are going to get there, but the biggest quality with this team is that they really bring the work every day."

It's only natural that Koponen would have been a little nervous how the Breakers would go up front against the size that the Bullets have in that area, with Gillespie suspended for the season-opener.

However, he had no reason for concern with the way Mennenga focused in on his match-up with fellow Tall Blacks member Harrison, and how he not only matched physicality, but also took the Brisbane big man, who won the Ray Borner Medal at the Blitz, away from his strengths.

"Of course Freddie is important for us like everybody else, but at the same time luckily we had one week to prepare and the guys did an excellent job executing what we practiced during the week," Koponen said.

"Brisbane only had four offensive rebounds, that showed the guys were boxing out and giving bodies against that team, and that's the biggest key for the win tonight. They are a really great group of guys who are working hard every day to try and get better as a group."

Mennenga had a rollercoaster of a rookie season in NBL24 at the Cairns Taipans, before joining the Breakers this season, and he set himself for what he knew was a key match-up.

He knew that some of his strengths as a more mobile big could trouble Harrison, while he's also strong enough to bang bodies with him.

He was looking forward to the match-up and was delighted with how it panned out, finishing with 22 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes of action, while Harrison had just nine points, five rebounds and five turnovers on just four field goal attempts.

"It's a different style of play and he's sitting there in drop and I'm a shooting big so for me I think there was an emphasis on that, and being able to knock that three down and then open up the floor for people like Parker," Mennenga said.

"Then it was about taking pride in that one-on-one match-up in the post because he's a great player, I have the utmost respect for him and his post game. But we did a great job on that in mixing up doubles, and then pulling him out of the paint on the offensive end. It was my kind of match up."

Mennenga has come into the new season with a point to prove and whether it's just showing himself, his coaches or teammates what he can, or any critics out there that exist, he just wants to show what he's capable of.

He also can't wait for next Sunday's home opener as the Breakers host the South East Melbourne Phoenix at Spark Arena.

"I'm always excited to play basketball and I was excited to just get out there with the guys and prove a lot of critics wrong as far as the pre-season shows certain stuff, but not everything," Mennenga added.

"This was game one and the one that matters, and we just have to keep trending in the right direction.

"I'm loving putting on this Breakers jersey and now I can't wait to play in front of the kiwi fans. We need that support and to get another win, and it will be my first time back at Spark Arena playing for the Breakers and I'm excited to see everyone out there."