Basketball: Breakers still hopeful despite playoff blow

SYDNEY - The New Zealand Breakers are not about to quit after their faint chances of making the Australian National Basketball League play-offs suffered a double blow.

The under-manned Breakers succumbed to reigning champions Sydney Kings 104-120 on Saturday night despite a valiant effort at the Sydney Entertainment Centre while in Adelaide their top-eight rivals won an overtime thriller 124-111 against Perth to improve to sixth.

The Breakers, who saw a five-match winning streak spiked, need to take their last two matches against second-placed Wollongong and Adelaide, plus rely on other results to squeeze into the post-season.

Despite losing their series 3-0 to the Kings, who are virtually assured of a top-two finish, the Breakers again made the competition leaders work hard.

Coach Frank Arsego, who lost forward Dillon Boucher through illness when the team arrived in Sydney, was proud of the effort which left the Breakers ninth with a 12-19 record.

"We were faced with adversity and played above it," Arsego said.

"If we can do those things right again in our last two games then I think we can be right there and we'll certainly make sure any other team trying to make the playoffs really has to earn it."

Already missing captain Pero Cameron through suspension and injured forward Ben Melmeth, Arsego had only eight players against the title favourites.

Guard Aaron Olson produced a superb performance, leading the Breakers with 27 points. Olson also had five assists, four rebounds and a steal in nearly 44 minutes of court time.

The Breakers led 29-24 at the end of the first quarter and went into halftime at 57-57. However, the Kings clicked in the third quarter, outscoring the Breakers 36-23.

The Breakers cut the margin to six with a 7-0 run but guard Ebi Ere was lethal from outside the arc, landing a trio of three-pointers to keep the Kings out of reach.

"I thought we had the game plan to give it a real shake and the players did a great job in executing it," Arsego said.

"They just kept bringing the numbers of players at us, they kept subbing in and we didn't have the numbers to go with them.

"Pero and Dillon would have been a great asset. Guys stepped up but they are key players and you want them there."

Tall Blacks guard Phill Jones admitted the pace of the game finally caught up with the depleted Breakers.

Centres Blake Truslove and Iona Enosa again combined for another excellent collect of 21 points and 22 boards between the pair - Truslove scored 15 points while Enosa grabbed 15 rebounds.

Import Mike Chappell notched 16 points and hauled down nine rebounds while playing most of the game in the unfamiliar role of power forward.

For the Kings, Matt Nielsen tallied a game-high 32 points while CJ Bruton (23) and Chris Carrawell (21) were the other main contributors.

The Breakers host second-placed Wollongong on Wednesday before wrapping up the regular season at Adelaide on February 28.

* In other games, Wollongong beat Townsville 95-90 and the Victoria Giants downed the Hunter Pirates 106-103.

What lies ahead

* The Breakers host second-placed Wollongong in their penultimate match at North Shore Events Centre on Wednesday before wrapping up the regular season at fellow play-off hopefuls the Adelaide 36ers, who are seventh, on February 28.

* They must win both to retain their slim hopes of making the top-eight playoffs, and other results must go their way.

* The Breakers are ninth with a 12-19 win-loss record, but have played three more games than the team sitting eighth, the Perth Wildcats, who are 12-16.

- NZPA