Top four tiebreaker ‘black eye’ for league

Breakers owner rails against way his club were eliminated from playoff contention

The Breakers were busy at work the day after their elimination from the Australian NBL playoff race. Owner Matt Walsh will talk to league organisers about the manner in which his team’s playoff hopes ended, while starters Finn Delany and Rob Loe have been re-signed to the club.

The Breakers had expected to be in the playoff race until at least yesterday afternoon, when they would have needed the South East Melbourne Phoenix to beat Melbourne Untied to qualify for the playoffs. In the end, United cruised to a 109-90 win to clinch fourth.

However, it was instead the Brisbane Bullets — who needed a 33-point win over the Cairns Taipans — who ended their season on Saturday night, claiming a remarkable 124-88 triumph that gave them a superior points percentage to the Breakers.

It’s the use of points percentage in the first place that has rubbed Walsh up the wrong way.

“I’ve never been anywhere else in the world that uses this kind of points system,” he said. “You got a CairnsBrisbane game where you’ve got Brisbane starters playing against Cairns development players, and that determined our playoff fate.”

Walsh said his comments weren’t sour grapes, rather he was pointing out something that detracts from the league.

“I think it’s a black eye for the league and I don’t know how anyone looks at that and thinks, ‘ wow, this is great for basketball in Australia and New Zealand’.”

Regardless of the process, the Breakers won’t feature in the 2020 playoffs due to a poor start to the season which saw them 2-8.

They finished with a 15-13 record after the return of key players from injury, including Delany and Loe, who will be part of the side’s make-up for the next two and three seasons respectively.

Delany, 23, recovered from a foot injury to have a career year with the club, averaging 12.3 points and six rebounds per game.

He said the decision to stay was easy.

“I feel I have unfinished business here and I want to win a championship here. I’ve got a lot more to grow in this league and this team, and I want to accomplish something special.”

Loe, 28, who averaged 9.6 points and 4.2 rebounds, recovered from a fractured skull to be a crucial part of the Breakers’ late-season run.

Walsh said the pair were highpriority signings.

“It really shows the spine of our team, the backbone of the team is going to be New Zealand talent and those are the guys who make us go.”

Corey Webster and Tom Abercrombie are the other Kiwis to have already confirmed their future with the club.

MVP nominee Scotty Hopson and fellow imports Sek Henry and Brandon Ashley have yet to confirm their futures.