NZ Breakers v Sydney Kings result: Breakers handed biggest loss of season in Sydney

Parker Jackson-Cartwright was the only one of the Breakers starters to score in double figures against the Sydney Kings. Photo / Getty Images

NZ Breakers 76

Sydney Kings 105

There’s something about the New Zealand Breakers that lights a fire under the Sydney Kings.

Coming into their match in Sydney on Sunday, the Kings were looking for answers. They had lost five of their last six games, they had been struggling to score, and star guard Jaylen Adams had missed his last 13 three-point attempts.

They looked like the best team in the league against the Breakers in a 105-76 win.

It was a game that was over by halftime as the Breakers couldn’t find a way to slow down the Kings offense; former NBA players Adams and Denzel Valentine leading the way with 21 and 20 points at the break respectively; Adams shaking off his previous shooting woes and making his first five three-point attempts.

The Kings ended the half making 68 per cent of their shot attempts, and 73 per cent from three-point range. The Breakers, in comparison, made 44 per cent of their shots and just 28 per cent from deep as the Sydney defence proved to be disruptive.

The script didn’t change in the second half.

The Breakers came out of the break and continued to struggle to put the ball in the basket, while the Kings filled it up whether they were well contested or not.

It became a case of just trying to make the scoreline respectable and ease the damage to their points percentage, which is used as the tiebreaker on the ladder should it be needed at the end of the season.

The Breakers resorted to three-point shots more and more as the game went on, with Izayah Le’afa giving the side a much-needed lift from beyond the arc, as did Cam Gliddon who made four of his five attempts from deep.

But there was little respite from the onslaught of the Kings. Adams continued to light up the Breakers defence – leaving the game with about five minutes left and 39 points to his name.

For the Breakers, point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright was the only starter to score in double figures, and the 29-point loss was the biggest of the Breakers’ campaign.

They were, however, able to avoid the game being their lowest score of the season – that mark still being the 65 points they scored in a loss to Illawarra back in November.

With their record now at 8-12 with eight games left of the regular season, the side finds themselves hovering back towards must-win territory heading into back-to-back games at home in the next two rounds.

NZ Breakers 76 (Izayah Le’afa 15 points, Cam Gliddon 12)

Sydney Kings 105 (Jaylen Adams 39 points, Denzel Valentine 23)

1Q: 19-34. HT: 63-34. 3Q: 54-89

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.