Basketball: Breakers beaten at both ends of the court

Shooting dominance from Mike Helms, backed by a rip-roaring opening from Aaron Trahair, carried the Hunter Pirates to a 105-82 win over the Breakers at Trusts Stadium in Auckland.

The Breakers' two-game winning streak came to a halt when they failed to fire either offensively or defensively and were out-thought.

The Pirates realised early they needed to pressure the Breakers star men Brian Green and Rich Melzer.

It was a smart ploy.

By getting in the face of Green right from the first minute, the Pirates never allowed the American to find his range.

Green's shooting percentage barely reached double figures, and the Breakers posted a shooting success of 35 per cent.

Helms, back from injury, delivered a masterful performance, scoring 32 points.

"It's good not to lose this one," he said.

By the final quarter Saturday night, Helms was taking the ball to the hole at his leisure and his bag of tricks was too good for any of the Breakers to cope when left one-on-one.

He was ably backed up by fellow import Aaron Trahair, who scored 25 points and added a calm authority to the Pirates' offence.

Pirates coach Adrian Hurley was clearly delighted with the victory, not just because it meant they had already bettered their away record from last season but because he believed the Breakers were a side with genuine ability.

- NZPA