Breakers 93 Taipans 79
The Breakers snapped the Taipans' five-match win streak to move to top of the NBL ladder with a convincing victory at the North Shore Events centre last night.
It took until the final quarter for the Breakers to finally subdue the dogged visitors. For long periods it looked as if the Taipans might overwhelm the patchy Breakers but with the game on the line the home side simply had too many big guns.
Kirk Penney endured a long cold spell in the middle quarters but started and finished in supreme touch to end with a 25-point haul that included 7/10 three pointers. Forward Gary Wilkinson was also in hot form with 20 points, while centre Alex Pledger (11 points) finished two rebounds short of a first career double double.
The win took the Breakers (8-2) above the Wollongong Hawks (7-2), the club they will meet in another top-of-the table clash next Friday night.
That match is the first of a run of four straight road games for the Breakers, who don't play at home again until a rematch against the Taipans on January 13.
Last night's effort wasn't quite vintage Breakers, but it wasn't far off it. If any indication of the strength of the club was needed, they began the fourth quarter clinging to a precarious lead with both imports and CJ Bruton sitting on the bench.
What other NBL clubs would give to be able to bench that sort of talent with the game on the line.
The absence of the key trio hardly hurt the Breakers though, with Penney's hot hand sparking a decisive 11-1 run to kill off the Taipans.
Prior to that the contest had been too clean to qualify as a dogfight, but it was certainly one hell of a battle.
Alex Loughton and Gary Wilkinson exchanged threes in the opening seconds to set the tone and Penney and Bruton also nailed their first shots, both from beyond the arc, as the Breakers quickly got their noses in front.
Penney added two threes as the Breakers surged to a 29-24 first quarter lead. He wasn't alone in hitting the target, the team shooting 80 per cent for the quarter. Such was the accuracy, the Taipans chalked up just two rebounds in the quarter.
Although they threatened frequently, the Taipans never managed to get in front, with the Breakers closing the half leading 45-42.
A Ronald Dorsey three tied things up but a nine-point barrage from Wilkinson continued the pattern of the Breakers stepping it up whenever they really had to.
Kevin Braswell's offensive struggles continued as he missed his first seven shots but the point guard finally got on the score sheet with a brace of free throws to edge the Breakers back in front.
Penney hadn't scored since the first quarter and he missed an open look for a three and two free throws to hand the Taipans another couple of chances to hit the lead. But once again the Taipans fluffed their lines and Penney finally hit a long jumper to get the Breakers moving again.
Braswell also found his range with a crucial three before Penney nailed a long-range buzzer-beater to give the Breakers a 66-60 lead heading into the final quarter. Another Penny bomb to start the final quarter proved a dagger from which the Taipans never recovered.
