Big step back for Breakers
If this was an Australian NBL semifinal preview, then heaven help the Breakers.
Melbourne United didn’t so much as shrug the monkey off their back, as obliterate the simian courtesy of back-to-back victories over the Breakers in round 18, punctuated by a statement 100-82 win at Spark Arena on Sunday that was their first ever in Auckland since joining the league in 2014-15.
That seals the minor premiership, and top playoff seeding, for Dean Vickerman’s side who are now 19-7 and cannot be headed. At 15-11 the Breakers would need everything to go their way in the final round to clinch second spot, and home advantage for the semis.
What looks more likely is they will drop back into the fourth spot, and meet Melbourne in a semifinal series that would have ominous overtones given the events of the weekend. The Breakers had won 10 of their previous 11 over the men from Victoria prior to this weekend, but that hoodoo has now well and truly been buried.
The undermanned Breakers had shown plenty in Friday night’s 89-83 defeat in Melbourne, leading by 14 early, and by eight in the final period before hitting the wall over the run home.
But yesterday was a major step backwards, even with Kirk Penney again sitting out with that tight calf.
The Breakers, after a bright start, imploded badly in the second and third quarters when their offence went into brick-city mode (they made just 11 of 31 shots). After trailing 41-46 at halftime, and 58-73 at the end of three, they finally started to make some shots in the final quarter, but still ended with their biggest defeat of the season, and a lot to think about.
The Breakers had started well enough, leading 30-25 at the end of a crisp opening period, with Newbill’s hot early shooting (he made his first three triples of the spell) spearheading a solid offensive effort. The home side had eight assists on their 11 field goals, shot at an efficient 57 percent clip overall and made half of their six attempts from beyond the arc.
Then it all came unstuck rather badly as an horrific display of free-throw shooting marred an ugly second quarter for the Breakers that saw them score just 11 points and allow Melbourne, having their own issues at the offensive end, to edge out to a 46-41 halftime lead.
The Breakers’ offence ground to a messy halt – they made just four of 15 shots for the quarter – and their free-throw shooting was even worse as they converted just two of 12 attempts from the charity stripe.
It didn’t get any better in the third either, as the Breakers’ scoring woes continued and Melbourne slipped away to a double-figure lead that extended to 73-48 at the final break. From there it was all about damage limitation for a Breakers side who shot just 43 percent from the floor, 27 from deep and a pitiful 46 from the line.