Basketball: Steven Adams masterclass leads Oklahoma City Thunder to massive win over NZ Breakers

An Ater Majok dunk was one of the few moments of success the Breakers had against Steven Adams and the Thunder. Photo / AP

By Josh Price in Oklahoma City

A first half masterclass from Steven Adams quickly put to bed any hopes the New Zealand Breakers had of becoming the first ANBL side to beat one of their NBA counterparts.

The Breakers were thumped by the Oklahoma City Thunder 110-84 at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Friday, with Adams putting on a dominant performance in his 21 minutes of work.

The big Kiwi immediately put his stamp on the first quarter scoring the Thunder's first two buckets and bringing down two offensive rebounds in the opening three minutes.

The Breakers appeared to have learned from their slow start against the Memphis Grizzlies earlier in the week, with their intensity initially much higher.

Centre Rob Loe scored their opening three buckets for the Breakers, including a three point shot, as they hung tough with the Thunder in the early exchanges.

But a number of turnovers and poor shooting late in the quarter from the visitors saw the Thunder go on a 13-0 run to hold a 29-15 lead at the end of the first 12 minuets.

The Thunder kept pushing early in the second, with an 8-0 run to start the quarter extending their lead to more than 20 points and forcing coach Dan Shamir to call an early time out.

Adams then went on to post a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) by the half and the damage was done.

The first-quarter intensity in the arena had dissipated by halftime, with the hosts leading 62-35.

There would be no second half comeback from the Breakers in this one. The New Zealand side watched as the lead crept above 30, as the second half became more of formality than a contest.

Some bright moments from Loe and Scotty Hopson, and a much improved performance from RJ Hampton will give the Breakers a bit to smile about, but the match was all about the first half from Adams.

The Kiwi had a smile from Oklahoma to Rotorua throughout the match. The centre showed why he's the country's best player by a fair margin, dominating the boards and showing his silky skills around the rim.

He finished the night with 19 points and 10 rebounds in limited minutes.

With their opening ANBL game just a week away, Shamir and the Breakers leave the United States with two losses and a clear understanding of the gulf between their competition and the NBA.

The Breakers opening game is against the Sydney Kings at Auckland's Spark Arena on October 20th.

Follow how the action unfolded below: