Breakers Begin NBL23 with Overtime Thriller

The bar has been raised in NBL23 with the Sky Sport Breakers and Melbourne unleashing their new imports on the league,  as United escaped with a 101-97 overtime win at John Cain Arena on Sunday.

Both sides revamped their rosters in the off-season with a host of new imports and it was United signing Xavier Rathan-Mayes who finally broke the hearts of Breakers supporters.

United led by as many as nine points in regulation time but a late triple to Izayah Le'afa (13 points in a late cameo) slashed the margin to just two heading down the stretch.

Breakers import Barry Brown Jr (23 points, four rebounds, five assists) then had hearts in mouths as he slashed to the basket to level the scores with nine seconds left on the clock to force overtime.

Rathan-Mayes then exploded to life as he finished with 33 points, five rebounds and nine assists and was a terrier in defence as well to secure a tense season-opening win.

Chris Goulding worked tremendously alongside Rathan-Mayes in the absence of Shea Ili as well for 24 points including six triples. 

Melbourne import Rayjon Tucker was certainly busy, with an early contender for dunk of the season and a four-point play with his first two scoring opportunities, but he was kept relatively quiet with 16 points and four rebounds.

New Zealand also has a revamped roster and they were courageous in defeat, showing the league their star import Dererk Pardon (23 points, 12 rebounds) has come to play.

Will McDowell-White threatened a triple double with nine points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

David Barlow, who flirted with retirement in the off-season, had an immediate impact off the bench with defensive pressure and a silky triple to show he still has plenty of basketball left in those legs.

But the crowd at John Cain Arena were getting an early look at how lethal new Breakers import Brown Jr can be, the Florida guard scoring 10 of the visitor's first 15 points and proving heavily influential on the defensive end as well.

United was looking shaky, but then came an early contender for dunk of the season - in Round 1. Goulding threw a long ball down court for Rathan-Mayes who threw the rock off the backboard and into the waiting arms of a soaring Tucker to slam home.

The Breakers held a slender 22-20 lead at the first break and the match was heating up as the players exchanged words on the way back to the benches.

Tucker's hot start continued, draining a triple and earning a foul for a four-point play off the charity stripe. Rathan-Mayes was keeping the scoreboard ticking over as well and United were wrestling back the momentum.

When Barlow knocked down his third triple for the match, the lead was seven and United was clicking. However, Pardon was filling it up for the Breakers and the visitors clawed their way back to only trail 45-42 at half-time.

The two sides settled into an arm-wrestle in the third quarter and the home side went into the final break with a two-point advantage.

Goulding exploded in the final term including a huge triple with Breakers Next Star Rayan Rupert's hand in his face, blowing the lead out and forcing a New Zealand time out.

Just when United looked home and hosed, the Breakers launched a late fightback and were within three points in the final minute before Brown Jr forced overtime.

The Breakers will now make their emotional and long-awaited return to Spark Arena on Friday against the Tasmania JackJumpers while United remains at home to host the Sydney Kings Next Sunday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 1

MELBOURNE UNITED 101 (Rathan-Mayes 33, Goulding 24, Tucker 16)
NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 97 (Pardon 23, Brown 23, Le'afa 13) 

BOX SCORE