Breakers hold on to survive late Bullets scare

The start to a new era at the New Zealand Breakers couldn’t have begun more encouragingly despite having to survive a late scare to beat the Brisbane Bullets 91-87 at HoopsFest in Perth.

The Breakers put together a dominant performance with a decidedly new-look team to be leading by as much as 26 points, and still by 23 midway through the final quarter.

The Bullets had a horror night up until the last five minutes where they went on an 18-2 run and then turned up the heat on the Breakers.

When they forced a steal and Casey Prather scored with 16 seconds to go, it was suddenly a three-point game but New Zealand just did enough to win by four.

It was the first game held at HBF Stadium since the second game of the 2012 grand final series with HoopsFest continuing in Perth to open the new NBL season.

Despite missing suspended import centre Freddie Gillespie, New Zealand took charge even with Brisbane arriving after a strong pre-season including winning the Blitz on the Gold Coast.

They took full control with an 11-0 run early in the second quarter and were on top 51-34 by half-time shooting a stunning 63.6 per cent from the field and making 8-of-12 from deep.

Another 12 straight points in the third quarter saw the Breakers lead blow out to 26 and even with a 22-point lead still midway through the fourth, Brisbane sent a late scare before Parker Jackson-Cartwright (20 points, 11 assists) iced it.

In the absence of Gillespie, Sam Mennenga starred with 22 points and seven rebounds with Mojave King adding 12 points and two steals, and new import Matt Mooney 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Breakers coach Petteri Koponen couldn’t fault his team's first 35 minutes and then he held his breath late.

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

"The most important thing from this win is 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."

Brisbane will take heart from the big finish with new import Keandre Cook having 13 last quarter points and 25 for the game with five threes. Casey Prather had 11 points, Tohi Smith-Milner 10 and Tyrell Harrison nine.

Bullets coach Justin Schueller didn’t mince his words afterwards.

"It was a pathetic performance by us, that's the best word I can describe it with," he said.

"We weren’t at the level for the entire first half and I'm super disappointed because we went through a year of this last year where we left things too late.

"It was a commendable effort by us to put some fight in and make a game of it, but that's not who we want to be and not the standard we expect."

Not much separated the two teams throughout the first quarter as they shook off the cobwebs, but the Breakers finished off on a 9-2 run including a bucket on the buzzer to Parker Jackson-Cartwright to lead 24-19 after one.

The Breakers took control in the second quarter including an 11-0 run that including a pair of triples from Mojave King, and another from Matt Mooney.

That had the lead out to 16 points with it growing to as much as 18 and still being 17 by half-time on a bucket from King on the buzzer who had 10 points at the half with New Zealand doing as they pleased shooting 64 per cent from the field and making 8/12 from beyond the arc.

It had been a horror start from Brisbane with 10 turnovers to go with being outrebounded and shooting just 46 per cent before things didn’t get any better through the third quarter.

New Zealand blew the game apart for good by scoring 12 consecutive to see that lead balloon to 26.

The Breakers were still up 23 with six minutes to play but then the Bullets turned the game completely. They went on an 18-2 run and then suddenly with 22 seconds to go Deng Adel hit a three to make the margin five.

Casey Prather cut it to three and with nine seconds to play Keandre Cook made another three to make it two, but Jackson-Cartwright did enough at the line for the Breakers.

The Bullets remain on the road to take on the Illawarra Hawks next Friday night while the Breakers head home to host the South East Melbourne Phoenix next Sunday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2024/25

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 91 (Mennenga 22, Jackson-Cartwright 20, King 12)

BRISBANE BULLETS 87 (Cook 25, Prather 11, Harrison 9)

BOX SCORE