Kiwi forward Sam Mennenga has led the newlook NZ Breakers to a winning start to the Australian NBL, as they barely survived a late Brisbane Bullets comeback 91-87 at Perth.
Ahead 26 points in the third quarter, the Auckland club lost most of that advantage in the final five minutes of the contest, as their rivals closed within two points down the stretch.
American guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright remained calm in the dying seconds, slotting four three throws to keep their noses in front at the end.
Playing without American centre Freddie Gillespie, serving a suspension for a pre-season headbutt, the Breakers showed their bench depth, with Mennenga taking the opportunity to stamp his class on proceedings.
The Kiwi forward scored a career-high 22 points in the win. (Source: TVNZ)
They dominated early, running up a 17-point halftime lead off the back of pinpoint shooting from the arc and an injection of scoring off the bench. Mojave King, Mitch McCarron, Grant Anticevich and Dane Pineau outscored their Brisbane counterparts 24-10, with the first three shooting 4/4 three-pointers.
King – only the third Kiwi drafted to the NBA two years ago – showed why, throwing up an off-balance prayer that bobbled around and in for 10 first-half points.
Jackson-Cartwright resumed where he left off last season, when he was a Most Valuable Player candidate, despite the Breakers’ early playoff exit. At halftime, he was already close to a double-double, with 11 points and eight assists.
For Brisbane, Kiwis Tohi Smith-Milner and Tyrel Harrison filled the starting frontcourt, but only American Keandre Cook reached double figures in scoring.
Riding a 12-0 run, the advantage reached its biggest, with Mennenga imposing himself around the basket. Notably, after their hot start from afar, they had not hit a three since the break.
With Jackson-Cartwright off the court, Brisbane turned up the fullcourt pressure and began to nibble away at the lead. Mitch Norton reduced it to 17 with a three, but Mennenga replied in kind to restore a 20-point buffer into the final period.
The Breakers led 79-57 with five minutes remaining, when Jackson-Cartwright and Mennenga headed to the bench, and the Bullets threatened a comeback with six straight points. The starters returned to steady any wobbles, as the lead began to crumble.
It fell to single figures, when Cook hit a fallaway three from the corner. Jackson-Cartwright briefly stopped the bleeding with a baseline layup, but fouled at the other end, with Brisbane shooting free throws.
The guard made one of two free throws, but when Casey Prather missed a three for the Bullets, McCarron hit a mid-range jumper with 40 seconds left.
Harrison converted a three-point play to keep the door ajar and Prather dispossessed McCarron under the basket to bring Brisbane within three with 17 seconds left.
Jackson-Cartwright made two freebies, but Cook bombed from distance, as the difference became two, but two more from the stripe from PJC sealed a nailbiting victory.
"It's a 40-minute game and we've been consistent in preaching that," he reflected. "We didn't do it for 40 minutes today, we did it for 33 or so... next game, we have to do it for the whole 40."
The result provided new coach Petteri Koponen with his first professional win, as his team — winless in the pre-season — overcame opponents that were unbeaten heading into their campaign opener. He has quickly brought together an almost entirely new roster with just two holdover from last season.
"It feels good, everybody can breathe a little bit," said Jacksonb-Cartwright. "Going 0-5 in the pre-season doesn't feel good.
"I know we have to keep moving forward and getting better."
NZ Breakers 91 (Mennenga 22, Jackson-Cartwright 21, King 12, Mooney 10) Brisbane Bullets 87 (Cook 25, Prather 11, Smith-Milner 10)
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