KEY POINTS:
Australian National Basketball League All-Star Carlos Powell scored 31 points and took nine rebounds as the New Zealand Breakers again beat the Adelaide 36ers by nine points in the league tonight.
Playing in front of their home fans at the North Shore Events Centre, the Breakers tilted the game their way in the last quarter to win 110-101 after starting the last period ahead by just three points (81-78).
Tim Behrendorff came into his own with some vital baskets to keep the Breakers ahead just when the 36ers appeared to fall back into the groove. He scored 12 points.
The man of the match however was Powell who is in the All-Stars game in Adelaide on Saturday with fellow Breaker Ben Pepper, who scored 11 points and took 11 rebounds. Pepper was the only player in the match with a double figure rebound.
The Breakers also prevailed when they met the 36ers previously in the league this season, winning 99-90.
They were coming off a 88-109 loss to the Sydney Kings while the 36ers, who were standing just one position below them in the competition (ninth), won their last game -- 110-102 over the Sydney Razorbacks.
The Breakers meet the Razorbacks in Auckland on Wednesday.
"We set a target to win our next two games here (home) to try and make our place safe for the top-eighth. We've got the first one, so we're quite happy with that and now we'll look forward to next week," Breakers captain Paul Henare said.
Oscar Forman, Aaron Olsen and Henare have played in all 12 games this season.
Forman was particularly thrilled with the victory as he had started his ANBL career with the 36ers and played 148 games for them.
The Breakers led 36-24 in the first quarter, 61-52 at halftime and 81-78 at three-quarter time.
While Powell topscored, Brian Wethers supported with 20 points and Forman with 14.
For the 36ers, Nick Hovath scored 28 points, Willie Farley 26 and Brett Maher and Lanard Copeland 11 each.
The 36ers took a 66-64 lead midway through the third quarter and it appeared that the homeside were going to suffer the same fate as last week.
However Pepper, Powell and Olsen came up with some fine work to ensure they kept their noses in front.
The see-sawing game started drifting away from the 36ers when Maher lost possession in a careless piece of play and Olsen scored at the other end to make it 101-95. The Breakers gradually opened up the margin from there.
NZ Breakers 110 (Carlos Powell 31, Brian Wethers 20, Oscar Forman 14, Tim Behrendorff 12), Adelaide 36ers 101 (Nick Hovath 28, Willie Farley 26, Brett Maher 11, Lanard Copeland 11). Halftime: 61-52.
- NZPA
