Breakers edge Kings 102-101 in Canberra thriller
Key takeaways
- The Breakers beat the Kings 102-101 in Canberra on Wednesday night.
- Carlin Davison led the win with 20 points and 14 assists.
- The upset came against the defending champions, who were heavy favourites.
The New Zealand Breakers stunned the Sydney Kings 102-101 on Wednesday night. The game took place at AIS Arena in Canberra. It was an Ignite Cup game in Round 5 of NBL27. The NBL is Australia's top basketball league.
The Breakers won by one point. They held off a late Kings charge. Torrey Craig hit four late three-pointers for Sydney.
A three-pointer is a shot worth three points. It comes from behind the arc.
But the Breakers held on. They beat the defending champions. The Kings had won the title last season.
Most experts tipped Sydney to win big. The Breakers had other ideas.
What happened
The game swung back and forth all night. Sydney led by eight points early in the first quarter. The Breakers fought back.
They led 31-29 after one quarter.
Sydney took charge in the second quarter. The Kings scored 32 points in the period. They shot 12 of 18 from the field.
They led 61-51 at half-time. Sydney shot 64 per cent in the first half. That is very accurate shooting.
The Breakers hit back in the third quarter. They scored 24 points and held Sydney to 12. Sydney shot just 4 of 20 in the period. The Breakers led 75-73 after three quarters.
The Breakers then pushed their lead out. They led by as much as 13 points. They led by nine with just under six minutes left.
Back-to-back three-pointers helped. Reuben Te Rangi and Mojave King hit one each.
Then came the late drama. Torrey Craig caught fire for Sydney. He hit four three-pointers in the last two minutes.
That gave the Kings a chance to steal the game.
Sam Mennenga went 2 of 4 at the foul line late. The foul line is where players take free throws. His misses kept the door open for Sydney.
Tyler Robertson scored on an offensive rebound with 2.2 seconds left. An offensive rebound is when a team grabs its own missed shot. That made it a one-point game.
Mennenga then missed both free throws. He missed the second one on purpose. That is a common trick.
A missed free throw burns time. But there was not enough time left. The Kings could not get a good shot off.
The Breakers held on to win 102-101.
Carlin Davison was the star for the Breakers. He scored 20 points. He dished out 14 assists.
An assist is a pass that leads to a basket. He also grabbed four rebounds and four steals. He shot 6 of 9 from the field.
He made 3 of 5 three-pointers. He made all 5 free throws.
Davison took over point guard duties. A point guard runs the team's attack. He did the job in style.
He stepped up with two key guards missing.
Mennenga was huge too. He scored 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. A rebound is when a player grabs the ball after a missed shot.
He shot 9 of 12 from the field.
Mojave King added 17 points. DJ Vasiljevic scored 13. Kouat Noi scored 10 points. It was Noi's first game against his old team.
For Sydney, Craig led the way. He scored 28 points. He made 7 of 15 three-pointers.
Makuach Maluach scored 19 points. Xavier Cooks added 18 points. Kendric Davis had 17 points and 11 assists.
Andrew Carr had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The Breakers won despite missing two imports. Parker Jackson-Cartwright is out with a lower-leg injury. Josiah-Jordan James is out with a hamstring injury.
A hamstring is a muscle at the back of the thigh. Both men are key players.
Sydney also missed a star. Matthew Dellavedova sat out with a calf injury. A calf is a muscle at the back of the lower leg.
He is out until Round 7.
Before the game, Sydney were heavy favourites. The bookmakers set the line at 11 points. That meant Sydney were tipped to win by 11 or more.
Sydney were paying $1.27 to win. The Breakers were paying $3.78. The Breakers beat the odds.
Why it matters
This win changes the story for the Breakers. They came into the game at 3-3. They had just lost 100-84 in Perth. Mennenga scored 40 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in that loss.
It was not enough.
Now the Breakers are 4-3. They beat the champions on the road. They did it without their star guard. That is a big statement.
Davison is the new story. He stepped into the point guard role. He ran the team with calm and flair.
His 14 assists show how well he shared the ball. The Breakers may have found a new leader.
The Ignite Cup stakes add spice. The Ignite Cup is a mid-season tournament. It runs across 20 Wednesday night games.
Every result also counts to the regular season ladder. A ladder is the league table. A special quarter-by-quarter scoring system decides a separate Ignite Cup ladder.
For NBL27, the prize is bigger. The top four teams will play a finals series at AIS Arena in Canberra. They will share $550,000 in prize money.
That is the largest prize in league history. Last season the prize was $400,000.
The loss hurts Sydney. The Kings are the defending champions. They came in at 3-1. They had lost 84-78 to Adelaide in their last game.
Now they have lost twice in a row. They must bounce back fast.
The game also shows the depth of the NBL. Any team can beat any other on a given night. The Breakers were underdogs.
They won with teamwork and grit. That is what makes the league fun to watch.
For more basketball, see how the Thunder edged the Pacers in overtime. It was another tight finish. Also see our report on the Warriors Lakers preseason comeback.
In hockey, the Bruins beat the Sharks 6-3 in more drama.
What happens next
The Kings head home to Sydney. They host the Perth Wildcats on Saturday night. The Kings will want a fast response.
Two losses in a row will sting. Their fans will expect a win.
The Breakers stay on the road. They visit the league-leading Tasmania JackJumpers on Sunday. Tasmania sits at the top of the ladder.
That will be another hard test.
Jackson-Cartwright remains out for the Breakers. James is also still out. Davison may keep the point guard role.
His form makes that choice easy.
Mennenga will keep leading the front line. He has now starred in two big games in a row. First came 40 points in Perth.
Now came 27 points and 13 rebounds in Canberra. He is playing like a Most Valuable Player. The MVP is the league's best player award.
For Sydney, Davis will want a big game. He had scored 20 or more points in 21 straight games before the Adelaide loss. He was held to 16 points in that game.
He scored 17 against the Breakers. The Kings need his scoring touch back.
The Ignite Cup race goes on. Every Wednesday game counts. The Breakers have banked a huge road win.
The Kings must now chase. The finals series in Canberra will reward the teams that handle these nights best.
One point decided it. One free throw could have changed it. The Breakers held their nerve.
The Kings ran out of time. Canberra got a classic.
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