KEY POINTS:
Kings 100
Breakers 89
SYDNEY - A seventh consecutive loss and an injury to key man Brian Wethers compounded the Breakers' misery and dealt their slim Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) playoff hopes another hammer blow last night.
The fifth-placed Sydney Kings dispatched the Breakers 100-89 leaving the Auckland-based side languishing in 10th place with only West Sydney behind them.
To make matters worse, American import Wethers was helped off with a knee injury late in the first quarter and wasn't seen again.
It continued the Breakers' awful away record with their 10th loss from 11 matches on the road in 2006-07, and it doesn't get any easier this weekend with a Queensland double header at Cairns and Townsville, both top-six sides.
Of their 11 remaining matches, just five are at home, meaning a maiden playoff appearance looks likely to again pass them by as the pressure mounts on coach Andrej Lemanis.
The Breakers trailed 51-43 at halftime and struggled for cohesion, with the ANBL's leading scorer Carlos Powell again standing tall with 28 points and 11 rebounds.
Centre Ben Pepper was next best with 19 points and 12 rebounds, with benchman Brent Charleton the only other Breaker to reach double figures with 10.
The Kings comfortably held the visitors in the final quarter as forward Rodney Elliott and guard Ed Scott led their scoring with 20 points apiece.
- NZPA
