Breakers lose to Phoenix but Ignite Cup final spot all but secured

Sam Mennenga. Photo / Photosport

The New Zealand Breakers are set to reach the inaugural Ignite Cup final despite a high-scoring defeat in Melbourne last night.

By winning the third and fourth quarters against the South East Melbourne Phoenix, the team secured two critical tournament points, keeping them atop the Ignite Cup ladder with a total of 20 points.

This silver lining ensures that while the regular-season standings remain a battle, the Breakers have successfully navigated the in-season competition to put themselves on the verge of lifting the first-ever Ignite Cup trophy.

The extraordinarily high-scoring game saw the Breakers fall 123-116.

Although the defeat damages their playoff prospects, the team’s second-half surge proved vital for their tournament standings. That prospect looked unlikely after the Breakers finished the first half 20 points adrift, as the Phoenix made 12 three-pointers from just 20 attempts to lead 74-54 at the interval.

The New Zealand Breakers showed significant resolve to win the third period 31-26 and continued that resilience in the fourth quarter to reduce the margin to single figures.

Izayah Brockington made it a five-point game at 106-101 with five minutes remaining, and the inspirational Parker Jackson-Cartwright maintained that deficit with a little over three minutes to play. While the comeback fell short, the team will take heart from a spirited second half where they outscored the Phoenix 62-49.

Sam Mennenga continued his strong form as he led the visitors with 28 points for the second game running, while Jackson-Cartwright provided 26 points and nine assists. Brockington finished with 15 points, and 18-year-old Karim Lopez added a team-high eight rebounds to 11 points. In the absence of Rob Baker II, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury during the previous win against the Cairns Taipans, Reuben Te Rangi was promoted to the starting lineup and contributed 14 points.

The schedule remains difficult for the Breakers, who return home to Spark Arena to face the league-leading Adelaide 36ers tomorrow. The team will be looking to channel their second-half momentum from Melbourne to protect their home court in what is a crucial fixture for their top-six aspirations.

Looking further ahead, the club is preparing for their home game on January 30, when the legendary Tom Abercrombie will have his jersey retired. This milestone event will honour the greatest career in Breakers history, providing a powerful backdrop as the team pushes toward the playoffs.

Result:

South East Melbourne Phoenix 123 (Ian Clark 24, Wes Iwundu 23, Nathan Sobey 19, Jordan Hunter 17).

New Zealand Breakers 116 (Sam Mennenga 28, Parker Jackson-Cartwright 26, Izayah Brockington 15, Reuben Te Rangi 14, Karim Lopez 11).