Thomas Abercrombie scored 24 points in the NZ Breakers' win over the South East Melbourne Phoenix. Photo / Getty Images
Thomas Abercrombie scored 24 points in the NZ Breakers' win over the South East Melbourne Phoenix. Photo / Getty Images
Who ever said Corey Webster's departure was a sign the New Zealand Breakers were no longer contending for a spot in the playoffs?
As it turns out, it was simply a turning point in their campaign.
With Webster and his 20 points per game jetting off to China with the club 4-10, the opportunity was there for others to take on a larger role in the offence to try and lift the club out of the doldrums.
Now, just two and a half weeks after announcing Webster's departure, the Breakers hold a 9-10 and sit just outside the top four.
The Breakers won their fifth-straight game on Sunday night, beating the South east Melbourne Phoenix 97-92 in Melbourne.
In a game where the club had pledged to donate $1000 to the Australian bushfire relief efforts for every three pointer they scored, with owner and CEO Matt Walsh matching the club's donation with his own, they weren't shy of getting their shots away from beyond the arc.
On the court we compete. Off the court we’re family. Sunday, against @SEMelbPhoenix, we pledge 1K for every 3pt shot we score to the Red Cross Bush Fire appeal with a min. 10K donation. @mattyvincent44 is matching the team’s donation. See you Sunday @semelbphoenix 💪🏼💙💚 @NBLpic.twitter.com/ByssejBNmj
The visitors scored 13 of their 33 attempts from deep, including a clutch Finn Delany long ball that put the game beyond doubt in the dying stages of the match.
Neutral fans got their money's worth in the contest with the side going back and forth for the entire 40 minutes. The Breakers got the better of the early play, with Scotty Hopson and Thomas Abercrombie leading the way, before the Phoenix fought back to be within one point at half time.
It was a similar story in the second half; if the Breakers began to pull away, the Phoenix would round them back up. Just two points in it with 16 seconds remaining, Hopson – who had been the hero a number of times in recent weeks – found Delany on the arc and the young forward did the rest.
RJ Hampton returned for a hip injury against the South East Melbourne Phoenix. Photo / Getty Images
With the side now in touching distance of the playoffs, the match in Melbourne was the ideal time for young star point guard RJ Hampton to return from a hip injury.
Hampton, who had been sidelined since mid-December, played a handy role off the bench in his return with 11 points in 16 minutes of action.
The Breakers will look to further press their bid for a spot in the playoffs away against the fourth-placed Cairns Taipans on Thursday, before returning for a three-game stretch on home soil against the Brisbane Bullets, Sydney Kings and Melbourne United respectively.
