KEY POINTS:
KINGS 120
BREAKERS 100
The crowd of around 3000 at the North Shore Events Centre was evidence of the value in winning, but the Breakers were unable to run with the table-topping Sydney Kings from the start of last night's contest and slipped to a 120-100 defeat.
But they played well enough at times to keep the fans coming and the patchy performance was excusable given their injury-enforced changes.
New import Orien Greene showed plenty of enthusiasm and skill but doesn't yet have the chemistry with his teammates to take control of a game.
He is a fast returner of the ball, good on the steal and has a fair shot.
But he and most of the Breakers kept hitting the rim in the early stages. The Kings got a run on and led throughout the first quarter, their long-range shooting better to finish 28-17 up.
Nothing changed in the second spell, the Breakers missing too many shots and sometimes passing when open instead of shooting.
The visitors consolidated their hold on the game, going to halftime with a 14-point lead. They had four players in double figures, only Kirk Penney, with 15, keeping the home team in it.
Kings' Mark Worthington and Jason Smith continued to tick the scoring over and the Breakers were unable to contain them or trouble the visitors' defence. It was their inability to play with any consistency and maintain any momentum that cost them.
The Kings kept a gap of around 20 as fatigue and foul calls built up.
But the result doesn't look so bad, given the Kings are conceding an average of just 89 points this season.
The Breakers look better in terms of depth this year but they still lack a 48-minute game.
