How to watch & talking points: New Zealand v Perth (Round 2, NBL26)

Saturday, September 27, 2025

After a slow start, both teams are searching for their first win with new recruits looking to make an impact.

New Zealand Breakers v Perth Wildcats
Saturday, September 27, 5.30pmAEST
Spark Arena

How to watch‍

‍Watch every game live on ESPN.

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Talking points

How do the Breakers respond?
‍New Zealand became the first team since 2010 to allow 100-plus points to their opposition in the first two games of a season. It was the worst possible start for the Breakers, where coach Petteri Koponen believed his group “wasn’t in basketball shape,” following their loss to Melbourne.

They’re back home in front of their fans and will be looking for a big response.

What page is Perth on?
‍Any time you have some key new pieces in a team, it can take some time to gel and that is what it looked like in the Wildcats' loss to Tasmania.

Mason Jones and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr.are two massive keys to this team, which means it will take some time for them all to figure out how to get the best of out of one another. It’s all about how quickly they can put it together.

New faces

New Zealand
Izaiah Brockington, Izayah Le'Afa, Jack Andrew, Liam Judd, Reuben Te Rangi, Robert Baker II, Rob Loe, Taylor Britt, Tukaha Cooper

Perth
Cameron Huefner, Jaron Rillie, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., Lat Mayen, Mason Jones, Noa Kouakou-Heugue, Sunday Dech

Depth charts

New Zealand
‍Projected depth chart:
PG: Jackson-Cartwright (IP) / Britt / McNaught (DP)
SG: Brockington (IP) / Le'Afa / Cooper (DP)
SF: Lopez (NS) / Bairstow / Davison / Judd (DP)
PF: Baker II (IP) / Te Rangi / Darling
C: Mennenga / Loe / Andrew (DP)

Perth
‍Projected depth chart:
PG: Jones (IP) / Pepper / Russo-Nance
SG: Henshall / Dech / Rillie (DP)
SF: Windler (IP) / Mayen / Huefner (DP)
PF: Doolittle (IP) / Kouakou-Heugue (NS) / Wagstaff / Gerovich (DP)
C: Lual-Acuil Jr. / Okwera