Breakers prolong Phoenix’s winless start to NBL season

Karim Lopez of the Breakers attempts to shoot over Jordan Hunter of Melbourne Phoenix. Photo / Photosport

The New Zealand Breakers have prolonged South East Melbourne’s winless start to the NBL season, grinding out an 81-79 victory in their home opener.

The Breakers trailed by as many as 10 points in the first quarter as both sides struggled to get their eye in at Auckland’s Spark Arena on Sunday.

But MVP fancy Parker Jackson-Cartwright (19 points, seven assists, four steals) starred with back-to-back baskets on an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter that proved critical for Petteri Koponen’s side.

“He’s the superstar of this league, he’s one of the best players and he’s our leader,” coach Koponen said of the American guard.

Ex-NBA forward Matt Hurt sank a three-pointer in the final seconds to cut the Phoenix’s deficit to only one point and make the Breakers nervous, but time was against the visitors.

“It wasn’t always pretty today, but sometimes basketball is like this,” Koponen said.

“We found a way. We didn’t start the game good, but overall I’m really proud.”

Last season’s wooden spooners have now dropped their first three games of the new campaign.

However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Phoenix as star recruit Nathan Sobey shook off a tough first two games of the season to find his rhythm on both ends.

The 2020 Olympic bronze medallist put up 10 points in the space of two minutes across half-time, landing a floater from a tough angle, then forcing a timeout just before the break when he drove through the basket on a three-point play.

Sobey finished as the game’s top scorer with 24 points at 47 per cent shooting accuracy from the field.

But when Sobey missed a bunny on transition in the final minute, the Phoenix had given themselves a mountain to climb, down seven points with the seconds ticking away.

Fellow Phoenix recruit Derrick Walton was kept quiet, largely by rival guard Jackson-Cartwright.

The NBL championship winner took until the final 70 seconds of the third quarter to net his first points from a fade-away shot, and they proved his only two of the night.

He and fellow guard Sobey both fouled out in the final minute just as the Phoenix needed a steady hand to pull the Breakers back in.

“I’m disappointed with the loss and with the start of the season how we’ve gone, but we’ve got to understand what we’re doing and [we’re] a new group,” Sobey said.

“We’ve got 11 new guys trying to figure out at the same time how we’ll play with each other and how that looks over the course of 40 minutes.

“I like where we’re at as a group in terms of how we’re responding to things throughout the week and our mindset going into the game.

“We’ll continue to get better and we’ll continue to improve from here.”

Breakers centre Freddie Gillespie had five points and four rebounds on his return from a suspension incurred for headbutting Sydney Kings guard Shaun Bruce in the pre-season.

The Breakers now head to the US for a series of friendlies against NBA sides, while the Phoenix will desperately try to snap their losing streak on the road against Adelaide on Thursday.