Breakers celebrate Abercrombie NBL milestone in style

Sunday, October 1, 2023

New Zealand has defeated Cairns in its opening game of the season.

Some new and returning faces helped the New Zealand Breakers blow the Cairns Taipans away in the third quarter to start the new NBL season with the 98-87 home victory.

The Breakers hosted the Snakes on Saturday evening at Spark Arena in Auckland with the shorthanded Taipans starting well and leading by as many as seven points in the first half.

But New Zealand managed to lead at halftime by three, then shot the lights out in the third quarter with 31 points to 18 to end up winning by 11 to celebrate the 400th game of captain Tom Abercrombie.

Already a four-time championship winner, Abercrombie became New Zealand's first player to reach 400 games.

The Breakers were missing Will McDowell-White, but new import point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright thrived in his absence with 25 points, eight assists and six steals.

The returning Finn Delany hit 4/7 from downtown for 18 points with Justin Jessup (15 points), Mangok Mathiang (11 points, five rebounds, two blocks) and Zylan Cheatham (11 points, three boards) also important.

Sam Mennenga was impressive in his NBL debut for Cairns, back his hometown with 17 points and four rebounds after his US college career was cut short.

Fellow Kiwi Sam Waardenburg had 12 points with Patrick Miller contributing 15 points and six assists, Lat Mayen 11 points and six boards, and Jonah Antonio hit 3/5 from three-point range for nine points.

Abercrombie made the perfect start when he caught the on-point pass from Jackson-Cartwright to rise for a trademark throwdown, but it was the Snakes who had the better of the early going.

Despite the absence of import pair Tahjere McCall and Josh Roberts, and young point guard Taran Armstrong, by midway in the second period when Waardenburg hit a three ball, Cairns had opened up a seven-point edge.

It was new Breakers import duo Jackson-Cartwright and Cheatham who led their team back and a triple on the halftime buzzer from the former gave New Zealand the 46-43 edge at the break.

The Breakers blew the game wide open in the third quarter hitting six three-pointers including a couple each to Delany and Jessup to open up an 18-point lead.