The Breakers have continued their losing streak in the ANBL, losing 97-82 to the JackJumpers in Tasmania on Christmas Day.
The Kiwi team have now lost eight matches in a row leaving them ninth on the ANBL ladder.
The match was also the first time a New Zealand sports team has played on Christmas Day.
The Breakers took an early seven point lead in the match, before the JackJumpers gradually found their rhythm, with standout performances from Jordon Crawford (26 points) and Majok Deng (20 points, seven rebounds).
The contest was fairly even throughout the first half, and the Breakers were only down by three points at the half-time break.
The JackJumpers lead pushed out to six points at the end of the third quarter, with the Breakers still in touching distance.
However, the game slipped away from the Breakers in the latter stages of the match, with the JackJumpers winning the final quarter 33-24.
Parker Jackson-Cartwright was a bright spark for the Breakers, scoring 23 points along with six assists and two steals.
Breakers star Parker Jackson-Cartwright knocked over the referee in his team's Christmas Day loss. (Source: TVNZ)
However, he was lucky to stay on the court after getting involved in an altercation in the closing stages where he knocked over an umpire.
He received support from Tacko Fall (11 points, nine rebounds, three blocks), Sam Mennenga (11 points, seven rebounds) and Mojave King (12 points).
The Breakers continued their struggles from beyond the arc, scoring just four of their 23 three-point attempts.
Breakers head coach Petteri Koponen said his side competed for the early parts of the game but they let it slip away.
“Same story as our last game against Sydney - the guys were showing good effort for 30-35 minutes and then we lost our poise again. It’s something we’ve talked a lot about throughout the season and it’s been a problem we keep having,” Koponen said.
“During this losing stretch we’ve been shooting the ball really badly - four of 23 from three tonight is not good enough.
“There are no magic tricks, but we keep fighting as a team. No one wants to quit and it’s just those crucial moments we need to play better. The guys are much better than we’re showing right now.”
The Breakers next match is on the road against bottom of the table Cairns Taipans at 9.30pm (NZT) on New Year’s Eve.
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