Rollercoaster season continues for Sky Sport Breakers

The up and down, rollercoaster ride for the Sky Sport Breakers continued against Melbourne United at John Cain Arena on Sunday, with the defending NBL champions beating New Zealand 108-73.

The Breakers came into the game on the back of a win in Cairns over the Taipans and had six days to prepare to take on United on Sunday afternoon, with Melbourne coming off beating the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Thursday.

The start was good enough too from the Breakers with seven straight points early in the game including a triple from Hugo Besson helping to build a 12-9 advantage.

Melbourne then managed to build a 10-point advantage by quarter-time, which grew to 27 by half-time to 40 at three quarter-time and settled at 35 by the final buzzer.

Peyton Siva finished the game with 17 points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals for the Breakers while knocking down 3/6 from three-point territory.

Hugo Besson also had 17 points, five rebounds and three assists with Chasson Randle contributing 11 points, Sam Timmins seven points and four boards, Rasmus Bach seven points and two assists, Kyrin Galloway five points, Yanni Wetzell five points and two rebounds, and Finn Delany four points and five boards.

Breakers coach Dan Shamir wasn’t making any excuses afterwards.

"You lose a game by 35 and there's not really a lot to say besides some cliches that I don’t really like," Shamir said.

"First of all, hats off to United and they are showing why they are in the first place and we are not. They defend, they share the ball and finished with seven people in double-figures. 

"Obviously it wasn’t a good day for us on a lot of fronts, and levels. But I think we are better than that and that's definitely what my feeling is. We showed up today and got punched hard, but I think we ae better than that."

The challenge was always going to be a significant one for the Breakers but they did start well, and following a 7-0 run thanks to Yanni Wetzell and Hugo Besson, they led 12-9.

Melbourne responded, though, and it started with back-to-back triples from Jo Lual-Acuil and Chris Goulding. It turned into 12 straight points to turn a three-point deficit into a nine-point lead.

By quarter-time, United had opened up a 30-20 advantage which grew quickly when they put up the opening 10 points of the second period. It started with a three-point play from Lual-Acuil before a three-point bomb from David Barlow and they were soon up 40-20.

It continued to blow out leading into half-time with Melbourne going into the break up 60-33. Caleb Agada led the way with 14 points, six rebounds and three assists but nine United players scored and they were going at 56 per cent from the floor and 43 per cent from downtown.

The rebounding numbers were also a concern for New Zealand with United collecting 22 boards to 12, and six offensive rebounds to one while the Breakers also coughed up eight turnovers for 13 points.

It didn’t change in the third term either with Jack White hitting an early three for Melbourne. Chris Goulding then delivered another from the carpark and when United closed the third quarter with the last 11 points, the lead ballooned to 84-44.

Both teams were just playing out the final 10 minutes but the Breakers did at least knock down some threes including two apiece to Rasmus Bach and Peyton Siva, and tried to bring respectability back to the scoreboard for the final margin of 35.

The Breakers don't play again until next Tuesday when they face the Illawarra Hawks in Hobart on March 1.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 12

SKY SPORT BREAKERS 73 (Besson 17, Siva 17, Randle 11)

MELBOURNE UNITED 108 (Agada 17, White 14, Goulding 12)

BOX SCORE