Breakers eye double
For the Breakers, half done.
An outstanding 77-73 Australian NBL victory over the Illawarra Hawks in Wollongong on Friday night has taken the Kiwi club to within one tantalising victory of a guaranteed playoff spot, with five games remaining.
At 14-9 and now third on the standings, the Breakers are so close to a return to the playoffs they can almost taste it. A repeat victory in today’s rematch against the Hawks at Auckland’s Spark Arena (3pm tipoff) will seal the deal.
The Breakers rode home on a big effort from their bench and a strong overall defensive effort on Friday night, to all but torpedo the Hawks’ own playoff hopes and snap a four-game road losing streak.
Paul Henare’s men knuckled down to keep the Hawks to just a 36 percent shooting clip, won the points off the bench battle 38-15, and shook off a slow start (they trailed 15-5 early) to squeeze the life out of their hosts over the final two quarters.
‘‘It was a big game for us,’’ said coach Henare. ‘‘We knew the Hawks were going to come out and fight and scrap which they did. They got off to that good start, and I thought ‘bloody hell, here we go, it’s going to be a long night’.
‘‘But, thankfully, the guys hung tough and the second unit came in and gave us a great boost, especially with the defensive pressure they were able to apply. Hats off to them. It’s a gritty win for us and a really important one.’’
Star point guard Edgar Sosa paced the Breakers with 12 points (4/11 FG, 2/6 3PT), three rebounds and four assists, but had plenty of help.
Fellow import D J Newbill produced an efficient 11 points on five-of-eight shooting and added seven boards, and Kirk Penney (10 points and five rebounds) and Rob Loe (11 points on four-of six shooting, and three boards and three assists), led the charge off the pine. the job is only
‘‘We are at our best when all the guys are ready and prepared to take their opportunities,’’ added Henare. ‘‘The Hawks are a side you have to be ready for. They trap onballs, they get after you, they play zone, and the ball is going to move into spots that are a bit unusual. ‘‘For the most part we got good looks. We didn’t shoot it great, but there is room for improvement.’’
Henare was keen for his men to ram home their advantage today, clinch that playoff spot and add some momentum to their push for a top-two finish that will earn home advantage for the semis.
‘‘It’s like a mini-series, similar to the playoffs where from game to game both coaching staffs are going to look at the game and make subtle adjustments. I don’t think you make wholesale changes, but you look at what worked well, and areas of improvement, and try tighten those things up.
‘‘It’s about resting bodies, recovery and travelling well. We’re both on the same flight over to Auckland, and it’s always a fun time to see the opposition there.’’
Henare would clearly like to see his team’s offence improve. Once again they were kept in the 70s, and shot just 42 percent from the floor and 28 from deep.
He would also like to see Rakeem Christmas find the fluency that has proved elusive since his arrival. The big American was promoted to the starting lineup, but played just 12 minutes for five points (2/6 FG) and three boards.
For all that, Loe and Alex Pledger (eight points and five boards in 12min) provided plenty of impact in the paint, and with the defence locked in, the Hawks’ wings were well and truly clipped.
A repeat today would complete a very satisfying weekend. Ibaka. It was the Thunder’s third straight loss after an eight-game winning streak
New Orleans had lost two straight since All-Star DeMarcus Cousins was lost for the season with an Achilles tendon rupture. They righted the ship by shooting 51 per cent from the field against the Thunder.
Davis earned his points against Adams, one of the league’s most rugged interior defenders. He scored 16 points in the fourth quarter to help the Pelicans pull away.
‘‘I thought he played great,’’ Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said.
‘‘I don’t like the fact that he has to battle a guy like Steven Adams and play those 37 minutes. Those deal with it.’’
Westbrook approached a tripledouble in the first half with nine points, nine assists and seven rebounds to help the Thunder take a 58-54 lead at the break.
The Pelicans seized momentum early in the third quarter. New Orleans led 97-89 in the fourth when Westbrook checked back in after a rest.
Westbrook made a three-pointer with just under two minutes remaining to cut the lead to seven, but Davis hit a three-pointer at the other end, then made another shortly after that to put the game out of reach.
The Thunder host the Los Angeles Lakers tomorrow.
- AP/Stuff
We didn’t shoot it great, but there is room for improvement.