Basketball: New Zealand Breakers coach Paul Henare blasts referees over foul count

Breakers coach Paul Henare reacts during the round nine NBL match between the New Zealand Breakers and the Brisbane Bullets. Photo / Getty

New Zealand Breakers coach Paul Henare has accused NBL referees of unfairly treating his side on Australian soil.

Four Breakers players - DJ Newbill, Alex Pledger, Rob Loe and Finn Delany - fouled out and a fifth, captain Mika Vukona, had four fouls in Sunday's gripping 95-92 away loss to the Adelaide 36ers.

The visitors were pinged for 31 fouls, compared to the Sixers' 21, and Adelaide had 37 free-throw attempts to the Breakers' 23.

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Paul Henare says for some reason on the road the team gets called for up to 30 fouls. Photo / Getty

That left Henare exasperated, particularly when no call was made on a Tom Abercrombie deuce in the last minute.

"For whatever reason when we play on the road we get called for 25-30 fouls," Henare said.

"Either we're a completely different team on the road or there's inconsistencies with the way the game's being called.

"When does that (four players fouling out) ever happen?"

"Tom Abercrombie had a layup on a fast break ... it looks like Ramone Moore gave him a good old whack on the arm."

Henare anticipates the officiating will be less whistle-happy in Friday's rematch against the 36ers in Auckland.

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"I predict instead of 50-odd fouls for the game, there will be 40-odd," he said.

"Do they change the way the game is called at home?

"I'm puzzled only because we've never been in that sort of foul trouble at home.

"I'd like to see the amount of fouls we're called for on the road and the amount we're called for at home."

Adelaide coach Joey Wright hinted there was some squaring up by the referees in the last few minutes as NZ made a bold late charge.

But the Sixers boss delivered his thoughts in a more cryptic fashion.

"There were three important factors that played a part in that ... I just can't talk about those three," he said.

"What happens sometimes is things try to get balanced out. The number of calls I didn't have a problem with but I was puzzled."

- AAP