Basketball: Breakers down Taipans

Kirk Penney. File photo / Sarah Ivey

There was to be no happy homecoming for Phill Jones as his Cairns Taipans were dealt their first loss in six matches, defeated 93-79 by the Kirk Penney-inspired New Zealand Breakers in an Australian National Basketball League match at Auckland tonight.

A fourth-quarter scoring blitz secured the Breakers their eighth win from 10 matches after the teams had traded blows during the first three periods, and ensured they head on the road for four successive matches in Australia in at least second spot, but possibly holding the ANBL lead.

They have momentarily nipped ahead of previous leaders Wollongong, who would reclaim top spot with an eighth win over Adelaide tomorrow night.

The return of Tall Blacks veteran guard Jones was all the talk pre-match but the 'Reefton kid', who played 97 matches in Breakers colours over three seasons before joining the Taipans prior to last season, had little impact at the North Shore Events Centre.

His nine-point performance was well and truly overshadowed by a red-hot Penney, who nailed seven from 10 attempts from beyond the three-point arc and shot at 64 per cent from the field to lead all scorers with 25 points, while forward Gary Wilkinson was a tower of strength closer to the basket, landing eight from 12 and snatching six boards in a 20-point game.

The Breakers, who totalled 29 assists to Cairns' 14, also got good impact off the bench with centre Alex Pledger scoring a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The hosts started with hiss against the Taipans and rushed out to a 29-24 first-quarter lead largely on the back of strong rebounding, but the visitors kept it tight in the second quarter and were able to force mistakes as they narrowed the gap to trail by three, 42-45, at the break.

A crucial buzzer-beating three from Penney handed the Breakers a 66-60 lead after three quarters and they ran away with the match in the final quarter, which they won 27-19.

"I'm very happy with how we played tonight," Penney told Sky Sport.

"Cairns came here with five straight wins so to get a win like that and improve our points difference, which could be important, it was a great result for us."

Tonight's match was the last at home for the Breakers until they face the same opposition at the same venue on January 13.

They head to Australia for a pre-Christmas double-header against Wollongong and Melbourne, followed by a New Year's Eve trip to Townsville and then to Adelaide on January 8.

- NZPA