Barry Brown Jr of the Breakers in action. Photo / Getty
Barry Brown Jr of the Breakers in action. Photo / Getty
The New Zealand Breakers and Sydney Kings meet on Friday night in game three of the NBL grand final. With the five-game series tied at 1-1. Nathan Limm looks at five things the Breakers need to happen to go up 2-1.
Will McDowell-White to take control
The NBL’s most improvedplayer nominee dominated the opener with 19 points, nine rebounds and nine assists but was well contained by Sydney in game two. If McDowell-White can find space to move in the key, it usually results in Breakers points. The Australian does not necessarily need to do the scoring himself, but if the space can be created for him to manipulate and draw defenders, it will give opportunity for the likes of Barry Brown Jr, Dererk Pardon or Izayah Le’afa to take open shots.
Shut down Dejan Vasiljevic
If one player can steal the show and trample the Breakers’ hopes of their first title since 2015, it is Dejan Vasiljevic.
A guard who is lethal from beyond the arc, if Vasiljevic is allowed to get hot, he will be a dangerous weapon for the Kings. Vasiljevic’s 16 points in game two included four three pointers at 60 per cent. Two of them came ice cold in the fourth quarter, extinguishing the Breakers’ hopes of a late comeback and silencing a raucous Spark Arena crowd.
With injuries to usual headline-grabbers Xavier Cooks (ankle) and Derrick Walton Jr (quad), two other Kings also stepped up in game two. Kouat Noi is a player to watch after he top scored with 20 points off the bench, with Justin Simon swiping six steals to go with 12 points. Both will need to be contained to some extent. It remains to be seen whether Cooks and Walton Jr will make full recoveries in this series.
Score on the counter attack
The Breakers’ defence has been the hallmark of their season, and that’s shown in both games. In game two, they created turnovers but often failed to capitalise on them. This compounded with the Breakers falling into a few of the Kings’ traps. The Sydney defence forced them into taking shots they did not necessarily want, but took anyway. If they can take advantage of broken play by scoring on the counter, it will take some of the pressure off those plays where the defence is already set. Figuring out a way to avoid those traps altogether would be even better.
Don’t sweat the small stuff
Tom Abercrombie of the Breakers. Photo / Photosport
Although the Breakers have proven their ability to bounce back from poor starts, early buckets play a big factor in confidence. Tom Abercrombie admitted after game two their inability to land points in the first quarter affected them and the frustration leaked into other parts of their game. The Breakers missed 45 of their 71 attempted field goals, scoring only nine points in the first quarter and 11 in the third. Abercrombie also said they played “stressed” but couldn’t pinpoint the reason. It is likely that lack of freedom was derived from their first-quarter struggles. Early points are fantastic, but sometimes the three-pointers just don’t drop. Shake it off.
A big play from Barry Brown Jr
The NBL’s best sixth man netted an emphatic three-pointer in the Breakers’ semifinal series-clinching game against the Tasmania JackJumpers, and there’s every chance he will be called upon to do the same on Friday in Sydney. Brown Jr is often seen asking the crowd to give more and be louder. He’s a dominant personality on the court and the players respond to his swagger and encouragement. That confidence is the key ingredient to nailing a clutch basket with a title on the line.
