NBL Week 12 2023: Breakers defeat Bullets 81-71, Wildcats defeat Taipans 105-102
The Brisbane Bullets have now lost three on the trot after the Breakers proved too good on Wednesday night at Nissan Arena.
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The NZ Breakers handed the Brisbane Bullets their third straight loss on Wednesday night, deflating a packed house at Nissan Arena who had a much-needed victory on their Christmas Lists.
It was a familiar fate for Brisbane who, as they have many times this season, trailed for much of the game, came back late, only to slip away in the dying moments of the match. In the end, they suffered a 81-71 loss.
The Breakers led at the end of all four quarters, and were the better shooting team, the visitors shooting at 42 per cent compared to Brisbane, who shot poorly at 32 per cent.
Nathan Sobey (15 points, 3-13FG) couldn’t find his stroke after last game’s 36 point explosion, while Aron Baynes notched just over five minutes in the encounter.
Parker Jackson-Cartwright (11 points, seven assists), Mantas Rubstavicius (15 points), Anthony Lamb (18 points) and Will Mcdowell-White (eight points) led the charge for the Breakers, who have won their last three games.
For the home side, Josh Bannan (14 points, seven rebounds) was impressive, as was Rocco Zikarsky (seven points, three rebounds, two blocks) and Chris Smith (10 points, 12 rebounds, four assists).
CHRISTMAS HANGOVER
Both the Bullets and Breakers had to dust off some Christmas cobwebs before they could get it going on Wednesday night.
In the first quarter the two teams combined for just 30 points in a poor shooting display. In the second half the shooting improved slightly to see the visitors lead 39-35 after a 15-all score at quarter time.
The playmaking of Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Anthony Lamb was key for the Breakers to get on a roll, while it was the defensive presence of 17-year-old Rocco Zikarsky which was the catalyst Brisbane needed in order to stay within an arm’s length.
GOOD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN ZIKARSKY IS ON THE FLOOR
Next Star Rocco Zikarsky continued to impress, the 220cm giant showing head coach Justin Schueller he is a viable option when things aren’t working for big men Tyrell Harrison and Aron Baynes.
Again, Baynes saw minimal action in the post and again Harrison was aggressive and confident attacking the rack.
But when Zikarsky stepped foot on the floor four minutes into the second quarter, Brisbane’s intensity lifted, shots opened up, and two shots were swatted away.
Zikarsky’s screens set-up Chris Smith who scored six points driving to the rack and his shot-blocking gave the Bullets fast break opportunities which were converted.
He had a positive impact and after a lackluster start to the third quarter by Brisbane, Schueller was quick to bring him back into the game.
THREE-POINT-SNIPER SHOWS GLIMPSES OF 2018 LEBRON JAMES
Brisbane Bullets import Chris Smith showed flashes of Lebron James in 2018 when the Cleveland Cavaliers challenged the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
In that campaign James was king at driving to the cup to score or facilitate teammates. On Wednesday Smith reverted from what he usually does which is shoot threes and instead he took it to the rack with force.
Smith went 4-14 from the field, but made things happen with his aggressive playstyle, the traditional three-point-shooting guard tallying four assists and 12 rebounds on the night with a plus minus of 2.
He, Zikarsky, and pocket-picking-duo Shannon Scott and Sam McDaniel were among Brisbane’s best on the night.
WILDCATS CONTINUE TITLE SURGE WITH THRILLING WIN OVER TAIPANS
- Matthew McInerney
A clinical Wildcats have shown why they are regarded as one of the teams considered a genuine threat to Melbourne United’s quest for an NBL championship with a gripping 105-102 win against the Taipans - but not before surviving an almighty scare.
Perth fell to the league leaders in an overtime classic in the open air game on December 23, and they stepped on to the Cairns Convention Centre floor with a renewed vigour to prove they are that team.
They fired with the rock, as perennial MVP candidate Bryce Cotton led the way with 33 points, while their pressure in defence, led by Kristian Doolittle, who had a 17-point, 16-rebounds double-double, forced Cairns into far too many easy misses from the close range.
But they had to withstand a huge fight by the Taipans, who surged in the fourth to bring it within one point.
Cairns showed plenty of fight with a 25-point final quarter, but their inability to hit the target from the field earlier in the night ultimately cost them.
Taipans’ Next Star Bobi Klintman shone brightly for the home side with 24 points, seven rebounds three steals and a block, while Patrick Miller (18pts) and Tahjere McCall (17pts) also contributed heavily.
HIGH PRAISE
Courtside commentator Derek Rucker said Perth produced the kind of performance which will place them in good stead come the post-season.
“We’re seeing a very strong repeat performance of disciplined basketball, moving the ball offensively, and just being really solid defensively,” Rucker said.
“When you look at this team, they have something that can go against Melbourne United.
“When you look at the upside of this Perth team, the ability to control tempo and play this style is going to be very beneficial for them in a playoff situation.”
NEXT STARS SHINE
This game had plenty of selling points, but none were bigger than the clash between two potential first round picks in the NBA Draft.
Cairns’ Bobi Klintman was just ranked as No.17 in ESPN’s mock draft, with Perth’s Alexandre Sarr dropping to No.2, and the battle between the two was a key selling point for the NBL.
While they fought tooth and nail for their teams, Klintman’s pre-game comments suggest there is plenty of respect between the fierce competitors.
“He’s a great player, we share the same goal - both of us are trying to get picked to get to the next level,” Klintman said.
“Sharing the floor with him, going out there and competing against each other, you can’t ask for much more.”
KEANU’S RETURN
The former Taipan was none too thrilled to learn his Wildcats would play on the other side of the country on Boxing Day, and you could tell with way he attacked this game to start.
It felt like he channelled that anger into some furious dunks – his first had a bit too much on it and ripped off the rim but the second was bang on.
When asked by courtside announcer Derek Rucker if he was out to end the Sams (Cairns’ Mennenga and Waardenburg), Pinder dropped the hammer.
“Yeah, I had to try kill someone tonight,” he said with a laugh.
Pinder scored Perth’s first points of the night with an easy lay-up, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds and three steals.
NEW TRADITION, SAME STORY
The Taipans’ home floor almost stole headlines for the second home game in their past four appearances in Cairns, but there was no trouble with the venue in their historic Boxing Day game.
This was the first time Cairns played at home on December 26, and in a season in which the Snakes keep breaking new ground.
A broken air conditioning unit almost spelled disaster for the home side.
Cairns and Perth were forced to other venues for their team shootaround on game day due to a build-up of condensation on the court due to the faulty machine.
The issue was addressed through the morning, with the game greenlit by officials six hours before tip-off, but given the recent history it left the club and venue, which was recently upgraded for $176 million, wide open to more criticism.
EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT AS 36ERS SNAP FOUR-GAME LOSING STREAK
- Jason Phelan
Christmas came early for the Adelaide 36ers, with Jacob Wiley and DJ Vasiljevic starring as the Sixers snapped a four-game losing skid with a seven-point win over the Brisbane Bullets on Sunday.
In Scott Ninnis’ third game in charge after replacing CJ Bruton, the Sixers led the way for most of the clash at the Adelaide Entertainment before holding off a late rally by the Bullets.
Wiley was the spark for Adelaide, finishing with 21 points and 12 rebounds, with Vasiljevic a team-high 23.
Nathan Sobey was superb with a career-high 36 points, but the skipper didn’t have nearly enough scoring support as Brisbane slipped to a 7-10 record.
The Bullets trailed by as much as 12 points in the second half, but back-to-back triples slashed the margin to three points with just under five minutes remaining.
There was more drama to come when Isaac Humphries somehow missed a wide-open, two-handed dunk that would have given his side a seven-point buffer with two minutes left.
Tyrell Harrison drained two buckets and a free throw to tie it up with 90 seconds left.
But an unsportsmanlike foul on Mitch McCarron proved decisive, the skipper icing his free throws as the home side held its nerve to improve to a 5-11 record.
FIRST STRIKE
The slow-starting Sixers had conceded the first bucket in their past six games, but the longest active streak in the NBL ended in emphatic style.
Not only did Wiley hit the first bucket for the 36ers, but Vasiljevic knocked down his first three then Wiley stuffed a wicked right-handed dunk home in a fired-up 7-0 start that had Bullets coach Justin Schueller calling time-out with just over a minute played.
Adelaide led at quarter-time for just the fourth time all season and maintained the rage in the second quarter to break another unwanted streak.
The Sixers had trailed at halftime in 13 straight games, last winning a first half in their Round 2 clash on October 1st, but led the Bullets by 10 points at the main break.
“I’m sick and tired of losing the first half … we haven’t won a game in a month and I hate losing,” Vasiljevic, who had a team-high 16 points, told ESPN at halftime.
“We had to come out and be aggressive.”
SOBEY SURGE
Nathan Sobey had a game-high 19 points at the half, but the next-highest Brisbane scorer was Aron Baynes with six, with imports Shannon Scott and Chris Smith with just three points between them.
The 52-42 scoreline didn’t bode well for the Bullets, who had lost their last 16 games when behind at the main break.
The visitors came out of the break reinvigorated, slashing the margin with the first two buckets of the second half, but Trey Kell III got hot to steady the ship.
The star import had dropped 21 and 22 points in the first two games with Ninnis in charge, but had just two points and three fouls in the first half.
Kell hit his first triple and had 13 points by three-quarter time, Adelaide leading by as much as 12 points in a scrappy term where both sides struggled on offence, before settling for a seven-point lead at the last break.
UNITED STAR SECURES STUNNING COMEBACK IN OVERTIME THRILLER
– Lance Jenkinson
Veteran guard Ian Clark exploded to life with 13 overtime points to steer Melbourne United to an incredible come-from-behind 109-103 win over Perth Wildcats in one of the games of the season at John Cain Arena on Saturday night.
Clark was incredible in the bonus period as he finished with a team-high 25 points, including two threes to call ‘game’ in the top of the table battle.
You knew it was United’s night when Clark hit a bank shot three.
United has opened up what could be an unassailable five-game break at the top of the NBL ladder heading into Christmas.
The Wildcats, desperate to stay in the hunt for the minor premiership, showed they are in the championship race up to their eyeballs, but top spot might just be beyond them after that heartbreaking loss.
Bryce Cotton was incredible for the Wildcats with a game-high 36 points, including six threes, and Jordan Usher relished the bigger ball handling role with Tai Webster in foul trouble, finishing with 23 points.
It was a stunning comeback for United, who stared a double digit deficit in the face late in the third.
Lacking fluency on offence and flat as a tack defensively, United got it all together just in the nick of time to erase an eight-point three quarter time deficit.
The fourth quarter was a doozy with United leading by as much as seven before the Wildcats went on an 11-0 run.
United centre Jo Lual-Acuil Jr had two free throws to take the game to overtime and they both dropped – the first bouncing off the rim three times before it tickled the twine.
Lual-Acuil Jr and forward Luke Travers were the catalysts for a United comeback.
Poor in the first half, Lual-Acuil Jr held scoreless, but he exploded to life on both ends after halftime to be the dominant big man down the stretch.
Travers, playing against his former team, was a mark of consistency, keeping United in it early and coming up with big plays with the game on the line.
Lual-Acuil Jr had two free throws with 2.5 seconds left and levelled the game.
It was a clunky start from both teams but the Wildcats’ 10-5 lead was enough of a concern to force United coach Dean Vickerman into a time out.
The wind did not appear to be a factor but it still took 112 seconds for Wildcats centre Keanu Pinder to score the game’s first field goal and shooting beyond the paint was sketchy.
Pinder had the Wildcats humming with a dominant 10 first-quarter points.
Cotton, the premier attacking weapon in the league, had the look of invincibility with 18 points as the Wildcats led 50-42 at the half.
With United’s starters, Travers, kept in check early, Vickerman found an impact off the bench through Clark, Tanner Krebs and Flynn Cameron.
Lift Jo
But it was Jo Lual-Acuil Jr who United desperately needed to lift after a scoreless first half and he came out breathing fire in the third.
He changed the course of the game, not only active with his trademark defence, but aggressive on the offensive end.
United hustled better on defence with Ariel Hukporti’s huge block on Pinder a highlight, but Cotton continued to bob up to give the Wildcats breathing room, eclipsing his season average of 21 points per game in the third.
A Clark three kickstarted United in the fourth and a Lual-Acuil Jr dunk shortly after had given the hosts an unlikely lead and woke the crowd from the slumber.
Clark took over in overtime.
Lid’s off
The lid was lifted off John Cain Arena 10 minutes before tip off to reveal blue skies.
It was United’s 10th open air game and the third time the Wildcats have been the away team.
United improved to 8-2 in open air games and 3-0 against the Wildcats.
SCOREBOARD
Melbourne United 109 (Clark 25 Travers 20 Goulding 19) d Perth Wildcats 103 (Cotton 36 Usher 23 Pinder 15)
At John Cain Arena, Melbourne
TAIPANS SNAP LOSING STREAK TO HEAP PRESSURE ON PHOENIX
—Matthew McInerney
The Taipans have finally ended a rare losing run at home and heaped pressure on the Phoenix with a 94-75 win at the Snakepit on Friday night.
The Snakes gave Far North Queenslanders plenty to smile about after a tough week in the tropics, as four men hit double figures in a huge win to strengthen their grip on a spot in the top six.
Sam Waardenburg led the way for the home side with 20 points, Patrick Miller stuffed the stat sheet with 17pts, seven rebounds and nine assists in a man of the match performance.
South East Melbourne slumped to a third straight loss, this time by 16 points, and the near future looks bleak for the Phoenix as they face two fellow finals contenders in the next week.
Alan Williams was massive for the visitors with a game-high 29 points, but were brought undone by sloppy offence as they coughed up 18 turnovers and shot at 39 per cent.
The first half summed up the Snakes’ season so far, as a frustrating blend of effective and exciting basketball in the first quarter to race out to a 12-point lead at the break gave way to a Phoenix fightback.
The Phoenix tightened up at the defensive end, forcing six turnovers out of the Taipans in the second term alone, as they closed the deficit to just two points on the back of a game-high 11-0 run.
WITHOUT A PADDLE
The loss of Mitch Creek has put on an exclamation point on South East Melbourne’s struggles.
Rhys Vague stepped up in the absence of their captain and general, but Creek’s absence was glaring as the Phoenix struggled to stay ahead.
It’s been a tough trot for the Phoenix, and it could get tougher.
They heavily dropped their previous two games, with 28-point losses to Melbourne United and lowly Illawarra last week, and the mission doesn’t get much easier when they travel to Tasmania to face the Jackjumpers on Christmas Day.
Coach Kelly needs to find the circuit breaker or they could slide out of the top six by 2024 as they finish the calendar year against the Bullets.
ROLLERCOASTER RIDE
The Taipans returned home after a tough week for Far North Queensland intent on putting on a show, but the result may allow Forde to sleep easier.
Cairns is, traditionally, a difficult place for rival teams to win, but it’s been anything but this month.
Before Friday, the Taipans were 0-3 at home in December, and 3-0 on the road – a surprising record which doesn’t aid any team’s post-season hopes.
If they can restore the Snakepit to the fortress it can be, especially with two of their next three at home, the Taipans will be fighting for the top two before long.
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Originally published as NBL Week 12 2023: Breakers defeat Bullets 81-71, Wildcats defeat Taipans 105-102
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