Basketball: Breakers blow 19-point lead

Poor shot execution cost the New Zealand Breakers dearly when the West Sydney Razorbacks turned around a 19-point deficit to steal a 103-95 win at the North Shore Events Centre yesterday.

The return of first-choice centre Ben Melmeth added plenty of attacking options and his rebounding kept the Breakers in the game at times in their 10th Australian National Basketball League match.

When both he and captain Pero Cameron fouled out in closing minutes, any chance of another turnaround on the scoreboard disappeared.

Simon Dwight was the destroyer for the visitors, nailing seven of nine three-shots among his game-high 34 points.

He was given too much space and enjoyed a hot shooting streak.

The Breakers, by comparison, still suffered jitters at crucial stages.

Phill Jones dragged them up after a slow start, to turn a 10-20 early scoreline to 21-26 after the first quarter.

Accuracy and urgency was badly lacking right across the court.

But Cameron, Melmeth and Casey Frank combined to control the second quarter and the Breakers took a 56-42 lead into halftime. With the crowd coming into it, there was expectation they would go on.

But the rebounding that had got them back into the game slipped away, Melmeth and Cameron started to tire and attract fouls and were sat down.

Without the big guns the Breakers struggled and clinical work from Boomers guard John Rillie and Dwight wore them down.

The Razorbacks controlled the pace of the game, slowing the Breakers' preferred rushing style.

Even the ever-reliable Dillon Boucher muffed lay-ups that should have been taken.

The visitors led 75-73 at three-quarter time and never looked like losing from there, running out 103-95 winners.

There were some positives - Melmeth's presence showed the Breakers will be able to get to the hoop when he's fit and on his game.

Lindsay Tait continues to improve his running game.

But there were too many turnovers.

The Razors reacted quickly to those and shot 16 of 30 threes, but the Breakers were found wanting for quick response in defence.

Their shooting accuracy was better than the visitors' -- but they didn't create anywhere near the same number of chances.

The loss to the fourth-placed Razorbacks leaves the Breakers hanging onto the bottom of the 12-team ladder with the other franchise new to the competition this year, the Hunter Pirates.

The Breakers go to Hamilton on Wednesday to play the second-placed Brisbane Bullets, then return to the Events Centre to meet third-placed Wollongong Hawks on Friday night.