Basketball: The bad old Breakers

Tom Abercrombie of the Breakers. Photo / Getty Images.

Melbourne United 95
Breakers 74

If the Breakers' first two games were reminders of the glory days, this afternoon's humbling provided painful memories of last year's lost season.

The Breakers looked like a side coming off a second-bottom finish at Hisense Arena today, being dispatched 95-74 by the previously winless and currently coachless Melbourne United.

Just like they refused to get carried away after beating both of last season's finalists in their opening two fixtures, the Breakers will chalk this one up as an off night, accept their 2-1 record and move on.

And the signs did indeed point towards this loss being a solitary slump rather than a harbinger for a second straight disappointing campaign. There was the truly horrid shooting display, a lapse in the effort areas on which they usually pride themselves, and underwhelming performances from key players.

Similarly to two nights ago against Adelaide, the Breakers' radar was seriously askew in the opening minutes, starting two-of-12 from the floor to allow Melbourne to quickly seize a double-digit lead.

But, unlike the big win over the 36ers, there was no revival. By the end of the quarter, they had yet to make a single three-pointer after seven attempts, being held to just 13 points in the first 10 minutes.

Melbourne's advantage stood at 19 points after a half in which very little went right, with the 53 points the Breakers ceded the most by far this season.

The second half was better - it could hardly have been worse - but by then the damage was done. Any signs of an attempted comeback were quickly
curtailed by a defence than waved through their opponents with worrying frequency.

Gone was the suffocating defence that held Perth and Adelaide to tip off the season, replaced by a unit that allowed far too many open looks. Daniel Kickert, in particular, couldn't believe his luck at being left alone from beyond the arc, draining his first four from deep to make the Breakers' own inaccuracy even more damning.

The Breakers also struggled with their fouling - another call-back to last year - and by sending Jordan McRae to the line 12 times, they allowed the import to pour in 31 points.
There were no such masterful efforts from the Breakers' best. Corey Webster again led the scorers with 21 points but he was among the chief culprits in his side's wayward performance from deep, making four but taking 12 attempts.

Cedric Jackson chipped in with eight points, nine rebounds and six assists but he never threatened to take hold of the game like he had in patches of both the Perth upset and the Adelaide thumping.

On a rare positive note, Tom Abercrombie made his first start of the season, grabbing nine points in 25 minutes, while the Breakers would have also liked what they saw from a limited Alex Pledger, scoring 13 in as many minutes.

There will need to be plenty more contributions like Pledger's when the Breakers host Cairns at the NSEC on Thursday night.

Melbourne United 95 (McRae 31, Worthington 20, Kickert 19)
Breakers 74 (Webster 21, Pledger 13, Abercrombie 9)

HT: 53-34