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Breakers 131
36ers 101
KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand Breakers are two wins away from contesting the Australian National Basketball League grand final after crushing the Adelaide 36ers 131-101 in an historic quarterfinal at the North Shore Events Centre tonight.
Hosting a play-off for the first time, the Breakers ruthlessly ended the sixth and lowest qualifier's campaign - and the stellar career of 13-year Adelaide captain Brett Maher.
The veteran guard bowed out on 524 ANBL appearances, unable to stem the tide as the Breakers led throughout a contest that appeared at risk of slipping away after a second-quarter lull.
But the Breakers rediscovered their mojo in the third stanza, crucially outscoring the 36ers 36-27 to increase a tenuous 50-46 halftime lead to an impregnable 86-73 buffer at the end of the third quarter.
Phill Jones conjured up the perfect ending to the penultimate quarter with an audacious buzzer-beating three-pointer which whipped the crowd into a frenzy.
Jones' success from the three-point line set the platform for a saunter to a semifinal series which starts across the Tasman against title favourites the Melbourne Tigers on Wednesday.
Leading by 13 down the home stretch, the Breakers turned on the flair as the clock wound down - CJ Bruton emerging from a quiet first half to wow a 4000-strong crowd with an effortless three-point barrage to convert a comfortable win into a rout.
Bruton went berserk, making a mockery of the Breakers' earlier problems from long range by swishing five three-pointers as he raced to 26 points, the second biggest contributor behind league MVP candidate Kirk Penney's 31.
While the league's most prolific scorers finished with a flourish, the victory was not free from anxiety after woeful three-point shooting frittered away the benefit of a 33-22 opening quarter.
The Breakers made the perfect start, gaining immediate momentum when Rick Rickert beat Luke Schenscher to the opening tip off - a sign of things to come for the 36ers as they endured a ragged beginning.
Oscar Forman, Penney and Rickert all nailed lay-ups before Bruton drilled a customary three from beyond the arc.
Penney twice followed suit as the Breakers continued their policy of shooting from distance to push the Breakers to a 17-5 lead - a withering burst that forced 36ers coach Scott Niniss to call a time out to marshal his shellshocked troops.
However guard Brad Hill, the 36ers chief source of scoring in the first period, continued to trim the margin from the foul line and three-point range, reducing the deficit as the Breakers' shooting accuracy deteriorated.
Penney, who notched 11 points in the opening period, also found himself in foul trouble - his third personal forcing him to the bench as a precaution before he returned to sink a brace of relieving free throws, his only contribution as the Breakers' leading scorer was temporarily curbed.
Maher and then Adam Ballinger cut the lead to one with three-pointers, the latter's sweet shot saw the Breakers advantage evaporate to a 37-36 lead. However, Dillon Boucher and Forman provided some breathing space, notably inside the keyhole, as the Breakers three-point percentages continued to plummet.
Tony Ronaldson (0-5) and Forman (0-4) were the worst offenders as chance after chance went begging.
The blunting of a traditional Breakers' strength allowed the 36ers to stay in contention as a Brad Hill-inspired offence claimed the second quarter 24-17.
Hill had contributed 20 by the halftime and ended up with a game high 32 points, a forlorn effort as the Breakers piled on 45 points in the final quarter.
Game two against the Tigers is at the North Shore Events Centre next Friday.
- NZPA
