Breakers woeful against the Kings
It’s over. The Breakers’ brave lateseason renaissance is now just a memory as the Kiwi club’s ANBL campaign descended into farce in Sydney on Sunday.
The Breakers, already without import Akil Mitchell on the back of his horrific eye injury, lost skipper Mika Vukona to a back strain at the start of the third quarter and then proceeded to lose the plot as they crumbled in the face of a lively Kings performance.
Sydney cruised to a 84-57 victory that was embarrassing in its ease. Paul Henare’s men could not take a trick as they turned the ball over repeatedly (a season-high 25 times in total), played soft defence, woeful offence and were lethargic and completely lacking in intensity throughout.
Quite why they went out resembling extras in The Walking Dead isa mystery. With a record of 12-13 heading in, this was a game they had to win to keep alive their late postseason push that had gathered huge momentum with four straight victories prior to Thursday’s dramatic defeat to the Cairns Taipans at the NSEC.
Instead they sunk to new lows in ineptitude, effort and execution as they let the struggling Kings build their confidence, and with it a lead that grew to 32 points at the end of a third quarter where the Breakers could muster just seven points.
Yes, seven points. Their thirdquarter total of 39 equalled the lowest at that point in club history, with the Kiwi club kept to just a single bucket over the last six minutes of the term. Their final haul of 57, after an entire final period of garbage time, was also a regular season record low.
At one stage Kings import Greg Whittington, who led his team with an outstanding all-round display, was able to put on a dunking exhibition, so often was he afforded unobstructed runs to the hoop.
The Sydneysiders are now well placed at 13-13 to sneak into the top four.
But the Breakers, at 12-14, and having now lost the tie-breakers to the Kings, would need a miracle with a visit to league leaders Adelaide and a home clash against Melbourne still to come.
They will now almost certainly miss the playoffs for just the second time in the last six seasons.
Kirk Penney was one of only two Breakers to muster double-figures, going five of 12 from the floor and three of seven from deep en route to 13 points. Tom Abercrombie was the other, fouling out late with 13 points (3/8 FG) and three boards.
Neither played particularly well, but their team-mates were woefully short of the mark required. Import point guard Kevin Dillard had a second straight shocker, making just three of nine shots for seven points and having twice as many turnovers (four) as assists (two).
American Paul Carter was even worse, ending with just six points on two-of-six shooting, and exiting in the fourth quarter when he picked up multiple technicals arguing a ref’s call. It was the only time he showed any aggression all game.
Big men Alex Pledger and Rob Loe struggled mightily and Shea Ili missed seven of his eight shots in an off-key effort. Vukona’s exit was the final straw for a team teetering on the brink throughout.
The Breakers’ worst performance of the season was inexplicable. Sure, the dramas of Mitchell’s eye injury on Thursday knocked them for a six then. But as professional athletes in a tight post-season race they owed it to themselves, their club and their fans to put up more of a fight in this one.
They failed miserably on that front.
It was the Kings’ biggest ever win against the Breakers, clinches the season series over the Kiwi club and was just the first time since round three they had managed two wins for the round.
Whittington was the star of the Kings show with 16 points, eight boards and seven assists, while Kevin Lisch added 15 points and Jason Cadee 13 in a Kings performance that was just all too dominant.
The Breakers had dug themselves a big first-half hole courtesy of a familiar malaise − those dreaded turnovers − and a surprising lack of effort and intensity.
The Kings enjoyed their biggest halftime lead of the season (45-32) as they cashed in on 14 first-half turnovers from the careless Breakers and led by as many as 20 in the second term, and 13 by the major break.
The Breakers had started well enough, leading 11-7 when Penney slotted the second of two early triples, but from then on things rather turned to custard as the Kings got their noses in front at the end of the opening quarter (23-19) and kicked on from there.
The hosts had a field day as the Kiwi club gifted them an array of extra possessions through the middle part of the second quarter and a 20-4 run had them out by 20 (43-23) before a strong finish at least gave the visitors some hope heading into the halftime break.
That hope soon faded as the third quarter turned into a 26-7 Kings procession.
Sydney Kings 84 (Greg Whittington 16, Kevin Lisch 15, Jason Cadee 13), NZ Breakers 57 (Kirk Penney 13, Tom Abercrombie 13). 1Q: 23-19; HT: 45-32; 3Q: 71-39.