Patterson’s shooting propels the Bullets
BASKETBALL: Brisbane star import Lamar Patterson said there were enough positives in his team’s tradesman-like 101-91 win over Illawarra on Saturday night to give the Bullets some confidence heading into today’s clash with the New Zealand Breakers in Auckland.
A 10-0 burst in the Bullets’ 25-13 second-quarter domination proved the difference between the sides in front of a record sellout crowd of 5276 at Brisbane’s Nissan Arena.
Patterson led Brisbane’s scoring with 19 points and was one of five Bullets players in double figures as the home side put the pedal down for long enough to kick clear of the lastplaced Illawarra, who were without teenage star LaMelo Ball (foot).
A victory over the Breakers would level Brisbane’s win-loss record at 7-7 and keep the top four well within reach.
Patterson said the way the Bullets shared the scoring load and knuckled down defensively in the second term was something for the team to build on.
“We’ve still got stuff we can fix but we’ve got an opportunity to take this momentum and ride the wave and go in there and try to get a W,” he said.
“Our depth is one of our strengths and I think once we start using it and figuring out how everyone can get a piece of the pie, you get nights like this.’’
Bullets head coach Andrej Lemanis said the key to success against the Breakers would be how Brisbane applied themselves defensively.
“I’d like to keep building on the defensive performance and that be our staple,” he said.