Clock ticking on leaky Breakers’ hopes
WELLINGTON: The New Zealand Breakers’ bid for a seasonending streak of NBL wins is under way but the team accepts it will not last long if its defence remains ragged.
An entertaining 113106 win over the Cairns Taipans in New Plymouth on Thursday underlined why both teams reside on the bottom rungs of the ladder.
Both defences were lenient, allowing Breakers centre Shawn Long (32 points) and Taipans guards DJ Newbill (32) and Melo Trimble (31) to run amok.
It was the first NBL game since 2009 in which three players have surpassed 30 points and left star guard Trimble underwhelmed.
‘‘It was all offence and no defence,’’ he said.
‘‘That’s a good way to play if you’re playing pickup but if you’re trying to win, you’ve got to get stops and that’s what we didn’t do.’’
Trimble’s tally lifted him ahead of Perth Wildcats guard counterpart Bryce Cotton as the league’s leading scorer.
While the lastplaced Taipans are well out of postseason contention, the Breakers harbour faint hopes after improving their record to 912.
However, coach Kevin Braswell lamented a fourth straight game conceding 100 points and said that would not be good enough when they hosted fourthplaced Brisbane on Sunday.
They will need to win at least six of their remaining seven games to have any realistic chance of making the finals series.
The Bullets (129) have the firepower to send them packing in Auckland.
‘‘Brisbane, because they shoot the ball so well, you’ve got to keep them off the threepoint line as best you can. They have a great group of shooters,’’ Braswell said.
‘‘Lamar Patterson has brought an extra edge to that group. He’s the playmaker and he makes plays.’’ — AAP