The New Zealand Breakers’ push for a top-two and semi-final NBL end has continued with a dominant 99-71 win over Brisbane.
The outcome saved the Breakers’ stellar away report in tact because the common season nears completion.
Jarrell Brantley paved the way in which on an environment friendly scoring night time at Nissan Arena after registering 30 factors in his earlier match in opposition to Sydney.
He and Barry Brown Jr, who was a game-time choice on Thursday, have been an excessive amount of for a Brisbane outfit chasing their fourth win on the trot after a current purple patch of type.
Brantley had 22 factors, lacking simply three of his 11 photographs, three assists, two steals and a block for a 26 plus/minus, whereas Brown Jr tallied 14 factors off the bench, and Dererk Pardon added 17 factors and 10 boards.
New Zealand hit 11 of their 26 makes an attempt from three-point vary, with 4 coming consecutively early within the third time period to balloon their lead out to 25.
They at the moment are one loss behind Cairns (16-9) on the NBL ladder with three video games remaining in opposition to Melbourne United (residence), Illawarra (away) and Brisbane (away).
A top-two ladder end means an automated semi-final berth and avoids a 3rd versus fourth match-up within the NBL’s inaugural play-in event.
Last 12 months’s wooden-spooners will fancy their possibilities in all three of their remaining clashes with the very best away report within the competitors – 9 wins and three losses, in addition to profitable six of their 13 residence video games this season.
Brisbane confirmed their intent early, attacking the paint by switches and mismatches on Aron Baynes, and led by as many as seven factors within the first time period earlier than the massive man went to the bench.
New Zealand capitalised and upped their depth defending their hoop and compelled seven turnovers to take a 22-20 margin into the primary break.
Those turnovers would result in 16 factors for the guests within the first half as Brown Jr caught fireplace within the second time period following a momentum-shifting block by Brantley.
A chase-down swat on Tyler Johnson’s lay-up rapidly led to a Cam Gliddon transition three-pointer after Brisbane narrowed the margin to 5, however that might be as shut as they’d come.
New Zealand leveraged Brantley’s swagger to blow the lead out to fifteen on the essential break, earlier than the guests held their opponents to simply 31 factors within the second half.
New Zealand’s bench outscored Brisbane 33 to seven because the Breakers cruised residence for his or her fifteenth win of the season.
