Breakers’ season ends in defeat
The New Zealand Breakers finished their Australian NBL season with an 83-78 defeat to the South East Melbourne Phoenix at Auckland’s Trusts Arena last night. That sees the Breakers end the season eighth of nine teams with a 12-24 record, having been forced to play 29 of their 36 games in Australia due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Phoenix move to 19-16 and are well placed to join Melbourne United, Perth Wildcats and Illawarra Hawks in the playoffs. Trailing by 14 early in the final quarter in front of a crowd of 4000, the Breakers closed to four with 38s remaining but couldn’t bridge the gap.