Breakers see off Adelaide

The New Zealand Breakers shrugged off a brutal Australian NBL weekend of flight cancellations and frustrating delays to go two-from-two with a high-quality yesterday victory over the well-rested Adelaide 36ers.

The Kiwi club followed up Friday’s 84-76 victory at the Tasmania JackJumpers in Launceston with an 89-83 win over the Sixers in Auckland. It improved them to a stellar 8-3 for the season and dropped the visitors to 4-5.

The Breakers by rights should have been out on their feet even before the game started after spending more time in planes and on tarmacs in the last few days than anywhere near a basketball court. But they shrugged off multiple cancelled flights, severe delays and a 3am arrival back in New Zealand on game day to wear down the Sixers with a resolute all-round display.

Barry Brown Jr paced the Kiwi club with a sweet-shooting, and gamehigh, 22 points, including a huge stepback triple late in the final stanza to put his team out by six (86-80).

The Breakers also got a pair of outstanding performances out of their import big men, with the muscular Jarrell Brantley pouring in a doubledouble of 17 points and 10 rebounds and the perpetual energy machine that is Dererk Pardon adding his own double-double with 19 points and 10 boards. Just for good measure Will McDowell-White added 13 points, seven assists and four boards.

The 36ers were led by a breakout display by forward Kyrin Galloway, with the former Breaker and Kiwi NBL standout exploding for 13 points in nearly 15 minutes. They were paced by Antonius Cleveland’s 17 points while Robert Franks added 14.