Basketball: Breakers lose by a point again

MELBOURNE - A withering late burst from the Melbourne gave them a heart-breaking 98-97 victory over the Breakers in the Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) last night.

The Tigers drove another nail into the cellar-dwelling Breakers' faint chances of making the play-offs but overcoming an 11-point deficit late in the third quarter to record their 15th season victory.

Swingman Chappell scored a game-high 32 points but it provided in vain as the Tigers prevailed despite a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Ben Thompson.

The Breakers were in front at each break only to surrender the lead until eight minutes from time when David Stiff muscled to the basket to poke Melbourne in front for the first time since the opening minutes.

A crucial call then went against the Breakers when a Marcus Timmons three-pointer was deemed to have hit the target after the shot clock expired.

Soon after Lanard Copeland scored the Tigers' only long-range shot from 13 attempts to give the hosts a crucial 93-86 lead with three minutes remaining.

American import Mike Chappell, who hit the target with six of nine three-point attempts, levelled the scores at 94-all with 40 seconds remaining. But a brace of Copeland free throws carried the Tigers to safety despite Thompson's last second success.

The Breakers' needed to win seven of their last nine games to make the play-offs and looked on course when they led 59-55 at halftime before forging a double-figure lead only to be run down by veteran mark Bradtke (24 points) and Stiff (16).

While Chappell was the shining light in the scoring stats, Ben Pepper weighed in with 18 and Thompson 17.

Melbourne Tigers 98 (Mark Bradtke 24, David Stiff 16)
New Zealand Breakers 97 (Mike Chappell 32, Ben Pepper 18, Ben Thompson 17).

Halftime: 55-59.

- NZPA