Basketball: Breakers extend winning streak

Kevin Braswell of the Breakers puts up a shot at goal. Photo / Getty Images

The New Zealand Breakers secured their seventh Australian National Basketball League win with a 101-91 win over Melbourne Tigers in Auckland tonight.

The match against the second from bottom Tigers was a battle every inch of the way, and the final score flattered the Breakers, as the competition leaders had trailed by two going into the last quarter.

But a strong team shooting effort, headed by Kirk Penney's 24 - which included five from seven three-pointers - saw the Breakers home as they outscored the Tigers 29-15 in the final spell.

Gary Wilkinson wasn't too far behind Penney, sinking 22 and picking up four rebounds on the way.

The Breakers started slowly, and had to finish the first quarter strongly after trailing 16-27 with less than two minutes left in the opening spell.

But a Penney three-pointer closed the gap, which narrowed further after Kevin Braswell picked the pocket of guard Benny Lewis and finished calmly to cut back the Tigers' lead to six.

Ahead 29-25 at the first break, the Tigers dug deep in the second stanza and it took some superb three-point shooting - first from Penney, then Corey Webster - to give the Breakers a slim 52-50 lead at halftime.

The Breakers' accuracy from outside proved pivotal in keeping them in touch, as they sunk nine from 15 attempts in the first 20 minutes and 12 from 22 overall.

Cameron Tragardh was outstanding for the Tigers, and the Breakers struggled to rein in the 2.10m forward as he racked up 21 first half points.

Tragardh finished the game with a career-high 35, snatching 10 rebounds along the way.

The Tigers' rebounding at both ends of the court also kept them in the game, Matthew Burston a workhorse in picking up 10 as well.

In total, the Tigers snared 36 rebounds to the Breakers' 24.

With Tragardh still stretching the Breakers' defence, the Tigers fought back to take the third spell 26-20 and go into the three-quarter break with a 74-72 lead.

The Breakers lost workhorse Dillon Boucher three minutes into the final spell, as an inadvertant knee to the head from Tragardh left him sprawled and bleeding in the keyhole.

Two minutes later he was back, with the Breakers struggling to extend a four-point lead with five minutes left to play.

With just over four minutes left, and with a slim 80-78 lead, CJ Bruton's three-pointer tipped the game in the Breakers' favour and they eased away from the tiring Tigers.

New Zealand Breakers 101 (Kirk Penney 24, Gary Wilkinson 22, CJ Bruton 16) Melbourne Tigers 91 (Cameron Tragardh 35, Corey Williams 18, Daryl Corletto 12). Halftime: 52-50.

- NZPA