Breakers Coach Lauds Response to Tough Schedule

Monday, October 24, 2022

New Zealand Breakers coach Mody Maor has praised how his team have responded to their challenging schedule to start the season.

The Breakers secured a 68-64 win against the Taipans on Sunday, despite it being their fourth game in just nine days. Three of those matches have been on the road, with trips to Melbourne, Illawarra and Cairns sandwiched between a home game.

Maor iterated how the foundation they have built as a team has helped them through the gruelling schedule.

“Our guys just brought this elite level of toughness, toughness that will carry us on,” Maor said.

“They gave everything they had in the stretch; we’ve played four games in nine days, and I think we felt the weight of the load of the travel.

“We needed a little bit of a shake up and our guys responded like I knew they would, and I’m very happy that the results reflected.

“I cannot stress how big of a challenge it is to play under this schedule and to perform against a great team like Cairns, who push you to the max with an effort standpoint all the time.

“I am very proud…it’s a real challenge to perform this way against such good opposition.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The New Zealand Breakers pipped Cairns to the post in a defensively-minded battle of wills on Sunday afternoon ?<br><br>Kick off your week by re-living the action from yesterday's game! <a href="https://t.co/SkJ1KJDwnR">pic.twitter.com/SkJ1KJDwnR</a></p>— The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1584288557572636673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Maor emphasised the strong bond the team has both on and off the court.

“This is a real team, with people that really care about each other,” Maor said.

“It’s not about any one individual. I don’t think anybody steps on our floor with any kind of agenda.”

Guard Barry Brown Jr was sensational against Cairns, scoring 24 points off the bench in his return from injury.

“We’re a tough, tight knit group, and I think that we showed that tonight,” Brown Jr said.

The Breakers are on the road again playing the Adelaide 36ers in round 5 on Friday at 7:30pm AEDT.