The New Zealand Breakers have stunned the Sydney Kings - beating them 83-76 to qualify for a play-in game against the Illawarra Hawks with a performance high on intensity and courage.
Big underdogs going into the game last night due to their injury toll and the fact they were playing last season’s champions on their home Qudos Bank Arena court, the Breakers recovered from a 38-47 halftime deficit to dominate the second half via an outstanding defensive effort and an offence brilliantly led by Parker Jackson-Cartwright.
Jackson-Cartwright, the Breakers’ regular season MVP, was a dynamo and untouchable at times. He easily led all scorers with 34 points and scored a dagger three pointer with 38 seconds remaining to push his side out to an 81-74 advantage.
At the finish he went straight to the sideline and had words with the local television commentators, perhaps upset that he and his team had been written off beforehand.
“We just want to win, we don't care what nobody is saying, it’s Breakers basketball - the collective,” he told Sky Television afterwards.
As usual the Breakers had to deal with adversity. Mantas Rubstavicius fouled out in the third quarter, a questionable technical foul call for flopping followed quickly by another foul in which an opponent appeared to do likewise.
Will McDowell-White, only given the all-clear from a shoulder issue late on the day of the game, struggled at times with the issue but played intelligently and contributed 11 points.
And forward Zylan Cheatham, who scored 18 points, was briefly off the court at the end of the first half with a leg injury suffered in a collision but returned regardless.
It was a match-up that coach Mody Maor said he liked the look of but the Kings went into it with a 2-1 winning record over the Breakers this season and began with confidence at both ends when racing out to a 22-15 first-quarter lead.
The Breakers weren’t playing poorly but were cold from the perimeter: In the first half they were 2-10 from the three-point line, the Kings scoring six.
With big man Cheatham heating up, though, the Breakers went on a 10-2 run in the second quarter to narrow the gap to 25-30, the Kings lead out to 13 points at one stage.
It was all Breakers in the second half, the visitors going on an 11-3 run in the third quarter to take the lead for the first time 51-50 with just under seven minutes to go in the period.
McDowell-White’s foul trouble kept him sidelined, however, and Rubstavicius’ departure was a blow as the Kings struck back to level it at 60-60 at the end of the third.
Turnovers became problematic for the home side, however, and they lost a little composure under the defensive pressure applied by men such as Izayah Le’afa and Tom Abercrombie.
They went on another run to extend their lead to 71-63, with a steal by Le’afa with 90 seconds remaining crucial.
Then came Jackson-Cartwright’s huge three-pointer.
The Kings had no answer to it.
The Breakers will play the Hawks in Wollongong on Monday night for the right to play Melbourne United in a semifinal.
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