‘Bully ball’ time for Breakers
It’s ‘‘bully ball’’ time for the Breakers as they resume the Australian NBL’S most compelling rivalry in Perth tonight with the onus on a forward line marked absent last time out.
Coach Paul Henare has warned his third-placed 13-8 side that the defending champs and club they’ve split the last eight championships with will be coming with the kitchen sink at Perth Arena.
It’s not just that the Breakers and Wildcats are once again locked in a toe-to-toe battle for playoff spots, with the 13-9 Perth club just a spot behind the Kiwis, and both chasing Melbourne (15-7) and Adelaide (15-8) for those all-important top-two spots.
Neither side enters their fourth matchup of the season – the Breakers have won two of the three thus far – in anything resembling peak form. But it’s the hosts who have the most to prove after dropping an unthinkable three straight at their fortress home arena and six of their last nine overall.
Last weekend the Cats were thumped home and away by wooden-spooners the Sydney Kings, including a 28-point redfacer on the road. That, especially, has Henare on high alert.
‘‘We know they’re hurting. We’re both fighting and scrapping and it should make for even more of an intense matchup,’’ he said.
‘‘They’re going to try and bully us, to push and shove and get that 13,000 fan base behind them and try and get some energy that way.
‘‘Whenever Perth teams in the past have been through a lull they respond with physicality and intensity. If we’re not ready for a fight it will be a long night.’’
Which brings us to the Breakers bigs. Last game out, an 81-71 defeat in Cairns played without star point guard Edgar Sosa, the frontline of new import Rakeem Christmas, Rob Loe, Alex Pledger, Mika Vukona and Finn Delany combined for just 11 points.
That sort of productivity just isn’t going to get the job done from here on in, and so far the lateseason addition of the wellcredentialed Christmas has yet to yield too much in the way of positive impetus.
He had a promising debut with 14 points and eight boards in just 15 minutes in a 90-79 defeat at Illawarra, but since has had six points and four rebounds in 14 minutes in the 98-81 home victory over Melbourne, and then zero points and seven boards in 17 minutes in Cairns.
But both Henare and Sosa, who will be back to run the show after shaking off an ankle injury, have backed the former Syracuse standout to stamp his mark on the back end of this season.
Henare put his big men’s struggles in Cairns down to the absence of Sosa and said he expected Christmas to flourish as he adjusted to the league.
‘‘He’s been here two weeks, and is having the struggle with foul trouble that happens a lot with new bigs. It’s something we’ll continue to grow and he’ll continue to learn from.’’
Christmas sat out Thursday’s final scrimmage with knee pain but is expected to contribute whatever minutes are required in Perth against a home frontline also struggling for form.
Sosa says fitting into such an established team is a process and believes it’s only a matter of time before Christmas unwraps a gem as part of the team’s three-headed monster at centre.
‘‘We know he’s going to be great. Once he gets adjusted to the playbook and way we do things he’s going to be a big key to our team success.’’
The Breakers have won just four of 11 since their nine-game win streak was snapped, and still require two more ‘dubyas’ to seal a playoff berth. Henare is adamant his side is on the improve, though concedes results remain frustratingly inconsistent.
A statement victory in Perth would not only be a big stride down that path, but also keep their shot at a top-two finish on track. If their big men could refind their mojo in the process, even better.
Who: NZ Breakers at Perth Wildcats Where: Perth Arena When: Tipoff 10.30pm tonight (NZT)