KEY POINTS:
Breakers 103 Slingers 100
The New Zealand Breakers outlasted a determined Slingers in a basketball thriller at the North Shore Events Centre last night.
Into the final minute the scores were locked at 98-all. But up stepped Oscar Forman to hit a clinch three pointer. Mike Helms responded for the Slingers but under heavy defence was unable to put up a three pointer settling for a field goal. In the process the Breakers gained a foul shot which Paul Henare converted for victory.
The new franchise in the Australian NBL had won the two previous games against the Breakers this season.
Ben Pepper gave the Breakers one of his best performances holding out big former Breaker Ben Melmeth for a top score of 22 for the game and 15 rebounds.
The Slingers were dynamic in the first quarter, racing out to a 32-23 lead. Guards Brad Davidson and Aaron Trahair and forward Marquin Chandler taking accurate shots from outside the arc. Mika Vukona was his usual aggressive self under the basket for the Breakers.
The Slingers had a comfortable buffer going to the end of the quarter and were able to bench four of their best players.
The Breakers came back in the second quarter, outscoring the Slingers. An altercation between Davidson and Pepper took the shine off the Slingers' play allowing the Breakers to draw level at 41-all. The Slingers went to the break just ahead 54-53.
A further dust up between the teams, resulted in a technical foul being called on Vukona and a foul called on Chandler.
The three quarter had the Breakers ahead 80-74.
Two minutes into the final period Breakers star player Carlos Powell, after a brilliant second quarter, fouled out of the game.
Powell scored 19 points, to give him 800 for the season.
But Forman and Aaron Olson held it together into the final 10 minutes.
