KEY POINTS:
The red-hot Sydney Kings ended the New Zealand Breakers' four-match winning streak late last night and left them needing victory in Perth to ensure a home playoff in the Australian National Basketball League.
The Kings were too slick throughout, winning 103-93 to equal the ANBL record of 26 wins in a regular season.
The Breakers, 16-13 for the season, must now beat top-four contenders the Wildcats on Saturday in an imposing road trip to seal a top-six spot and ensure an historic home quarterfinal.
The visitors were trying to equal their club-record five-match winning streak from 2003-04 but never really threatened the hosts, who led 80-61 at three-quarter time and showed why they are $2 title favourites.
It left the Breakers winless in three matches against the Kings in 2007-08, the only team they are yet to beat this season.
Key Breaker Kirk Penney led all scorers with 23 points but struggled to impose himself on a tough Kings defence early on. Import Derrick Alston was next best with 16.
For the Kings, seven players scored double figures, with point guard Dontaye Draper their star with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
It was a sluggish first half from the Breakers, who trailed 39-55 at the main break. While the Kings were slick on attack, hitting nine of their 14 three-pointers, the Breakers hit just two of 11 in the first 24 minutes.
Bench forward Mika Vukona sparked the Breakers by converting two offensive rebounds late in the opening quarter but they still trailed by 10 at the first break.
Penney, averaging 24 points per game, was given plenty of attention and had just six points at halftime, while fellow sharpshooter Phill Jones sank just one three-pointer in the half and ended with 11 points for the game.
Still, the Breakers were somehow within four points at 32-36 midway through the second quarter.
A Vukona technical foul for referee abuse and a three-pointer from Kings forward Mark Worthington in the dying seconds of the first half blew out the margin and left the Breakers a big second half task.
Point guard Orien Greene had four fouls before halftime, eventually fouling out with four minutes left, and it got ugly in the third quarter as the Kings extended the lead.
The Breakers entered the final quarter with a 19-point deficit. Penney nailed back-to-back three-pointers to reduce the score to 79-92 with seven minutes left but their run was far too late.
- NZPA
