Breakers bludgeon Melbourne in NBL blowout
AAP
4 Nov, 2024 04:43 PM3 mins to read
Parker Jackson-Cartwright of the Breakers shoots during the round seven NBL match between Melbourne United and New Zealand Breakers. Photo / Getty Images
By Steve Barrett in Adelaide
The New Zealand Breakers have dispatched a thunderous message of intent, consolidating top spot on the NBL ladder after mauling inept Melbourne United 113-79.
Monday night’s first-versus-second blockbuster at John Cain Arena was quickly turned into a shock rout by the Breakers as they belted United 25-13 and 30-18 in the opening two quarters.
Centre Sam Mennenga amassed a career-high 25 points, while superstar import guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright enhanced his MVP claims with 23 points and seven assists.
Seventeen-year-old Mexican Next Star Karim Lopez, already the youngest NBL player to produce a double-double, added another to his resume with 17 points and 10 boards.
Unsung NZ-born guard Flynn Cameron was the only Melbourne player to make even a remote impression, scoring 20 points off the bench.
The win was the Breakers’ first at the venue since 2018 and they achieved it by shooting a sparkling 66 per cent from the field and 57 per cent from three-point range, while obliterating United on the glass 46-25.
“It’s just an amazing group of guys,” said Breakers coach Petteri Kopone, whose red-hot team is still missing Mitch McCarron, Mojave King and Max Darling.
“We played Saturday [beating Adelaide in Auckland], we had one day to prepare and we travelled here.
“Just amazing ... no words.
“I told them it was just beautiful to watch from the sideline today.”
With Jackson-Cartwight proving too quick to guard, and Mennenga super-efficient inside and outside, NZ were off to the races on Melbourne Cup eve, sprinting clear 15-3 and never turning back.
Their lead ballooned to 55-31 at halftime, with Lopez showing why he is touted as a future NBA top-round pick by hurting United at both ends.
Melbourne were misfiring at 34 per cent from the floor, 14 per cent from three-point range, and were receiving virtually no production from any member of their vaunted starting five.
The one-way traffic continued in the second half, with the Breakers’ buffer ballooning to 84-52 when import Matthew Mooney buried a tough triple on the three-quarter-time buzzer.
Both benches cleared in the final quarter, allowing athletic NZ reserve Carlin Davison the opportunity to hammer down an enormous late dunk.
Cameron drilled four triples in the fourth term to single-handedly save a fraction of face for Melbourne and help them narrowly avoid their all-time heaviest defeat – which stands at 37 points against the Breakers in February 2016.
“We didn’t have answers at all for them tonight,” United coach Dean Vickerman said.
“We were just really bad defensively. They gave us an absolute lesson.
“It will be a brutal review tomorrow.”
