MARC HINTON
The New Zealand Breakers have won the first game of the ANBL championship series.
If there was any doubt these New Zealand Breakers are something special it was removed tonight in a pulsating, dramatic overtime opening game of the Australian NBL's grand final series.
The Breakers somehow, some way were able to take the best shots of a very, very good Perth Wildcats side and - on the back of some overtime heroics from CJ Bruton and Mika Vukona - nail a pulsating 104-98 victory to begin this best-of-three series in the perfect fashion.
They did so without getting a single minute out of arguably their best, certainly their most explosive, player in Thomas Abercrombie who had to sit and watch the best game of the season from the comfort of the bench.
Without Abercrombie, the Breakers did extremely well to go toe-to-toe with this rugged Wildcats outfit and their outstanding MVP guard Kevin Lisch.
That they were able to come from six down late in regulation to nail a brilliant overtime win was the icing on the cake.
The Breakers now head to Perth for game two in eight days' time able to play with the freedom of a side one up knowing at worst they'll be coming home for the decider.
A second straight championship is now just one tantalising win away for a club who simply do not know when to quit.
What a game it was. And at the end, even though there was the usual Perth chippiness, both sides can hold their heads high.
A record crowd of 9125 was treated to an instant classic between two clubs who do tend to produce the memorable when they meet.
In a game of runs, it had looked as though the Wildcats' steaming third quarter had put them in position to seal victory.
They got their noses in front in the final period and looked like they were on their way with an 85-79 lead with just under two and a-half minutes remaining.
But key buckets down the stretch to Cedric Jackson and Vukona and some outstanding defence helped the Breakers force overtime as the referees put their whistles in their pockets over a frantic finale.
Then in the five minutes of overtime, first Vukona and then Bruton stepped up splendidly to make nerveless plays to enable the Breakers to take the final grip on proceedings.
Vukona was a monster early, grabbing rebounds, powering inside; then when his body finally wore down up stepped Bruton to nail a pair of triples that sealed the deal.
Jackson had a huge game for the victors, finishing with 25 points and eight assists as he slipped back into his best form.
But Bruton was not far behind him, going five-of-12 from deep, six-of-15 overall for 20 points to go with three assists and two boards.
Of course no one loves the big moment like the veteran Aussie, and down the stretch it was clear to all that the Breakers had the game-winner in their midst.
Daryl Corletto added 16 points (5/10 FG, 4/6 3PT) for the winners, Gary Wilkinson had 12 points and seven boards and Dillon Boucher nine points, seven rebounds and four assists as he continued to make big plays when it mattered.
Vukona came good late to finish with 14 points and five rebounds.
Alex Pledger weighed in with a solid eight points and four boards and made two huge free-throws in overtime when Vukona had to retire with cramp.
Lisch led the Cats with a game-high 27 points and had quality backup from Matt Knight (17 points/five rebounds) and Shawn Redhage (15 points/five boards).
But they will be cursing letting this one slip through their grasp after a magnificent third-quarter fightback that put them in the box seat.
The signs hadn't looked good early when the Cats, perhaps buoyed by Abercrombie's absence, got off to an explosive 14-2 start inside the first four minutes.
But then the home team exploded on a 22-4 run of their own to roar into the lead, 28-24 at the end of the first.
The Breakers knocked down five triples in this period, a pair apiece to Bruton and Corletto as they showed they were here to play - even without their classy Tall Black Abercrombie.
That intensity continued in the second quarter when the Breakers held the Wildcats to just 11 points and, on the back of some inspirational play from Jackson, forged out to a 15-point lead.
Jackson, playing like the MVP he perhaps should have been, was magnificent in the first half, knocking down six of his eight shots for a game-high 14 points to go with four assists.
Corletto weighed in with 11 points as he nailed three of his four looks from deep, while Bruton and Wilkinson added eight and seven points respectively.
The Breakers also did a great job of restricting MVP Kevin Lisch to just five first-half points, as the Cats offence cooled off after their fast start.
But the men from the wild west, chasing their sixth NBL title in their 26th consecutive playoff appearance, are nothing if not fighters.
Back they came in the third quarter, a 17-2 run early in the third erasing the deficit and leaving us with a thriller on our hands.
NZ Breakers 104 (Cedric Jackson 25, CJ Bruton 20, Daryl Corletto 16, Mika Vukona 14, Gary Wilkinson 12), Perth Wildcats 98 (Kevin Lisch 27, Matthew Knight 17, Shawn Redhage 15, Luke Nevill 13, Jesse Wagstaff 12). 1Q: 28-24; HT: 50-35; 3Q: 68-66; FT: 84-84.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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19/03/2021 - 0 Comments
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