At Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch: Breakers 91 (Antony Lamb 19, Izayah Le’afa 14, Will McDowell-White 14, Parker Jackson-Cartwright 13, Mantas Rubstavicius 11) Taipans 81 (Bul Kuol 18, Lat Mayen 18, Bobi Klintman 17) 1Q: 21-23, HT: 37-38, 3Q: 67-55.
The New Zealand Breakers have got their National Basketball League campaign back on track, snapping a four-game losing run.
Led by standout showings from American forward Anthony Lamb and Tall Blacks guard Izayah Le’afa, the Breakers won for the first time since their season opener, beating the Cairns Taipans 91-81 in Christchurch on Friday.
It was a much-needed win for Mody Maor’s men after a patchy 1-4 start to the new NBL season, where they have struggled with injuries to key players and battled for top form. American forward Zylan Cheatham was the latest addition last week, sidelined for six to eight weeks with a fractured foot.
The Breakers outscored the Taipans 54-43 in the second half, having trailed 38-37 at the main break.
Lamb was outstanding in his fourth NBL game with the Breakers, finishing with a game-high 19 points.
Le’afa chipped in with 14 points and four assists – one of five Breakers to score in double digits on the night.
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Izayah Le’afa had an impressive outing for the Breakers in their win over the Taipans in Christchurch.
The Breakers started to take control in the third quarter, outscoring the Taipans 30-17 in the term to build a 67-55 advantage approaching the final 10 minutes.
Lamb, who played 94 games in the NBA between 2021-23, took over when the Breakers needed it most, demonstrating his quality.
He connected on three straight triples in the third quarter to give the Breakers breathing space, opening up a 64-53 lead.
Le’afa was also influential, hitting two quick threes and forcing a backcourt violation from the Taipans through his hustle.
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Anthony Lamb drives to the basket in the Breakers’ win over the Taipans.
The Breakers opened with a 15-6 run to start the third quarter, surging ahead on the scoreboard 52-44.
Le’afa added a third triple for the quarter, continuing his red-hot shooting, but the Taipans were never far away, replying at the other end of the court.
The bottom-placed Breakers arrived in Christchurch in desperate need of a win, having lost four straight NBL games and holding a 1-4 record.
Their losing run stretched to six games if you factored in their NBA pre-season defeats to the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz in the US in October.
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Will McDowell-White scored 14 points for the Breakers in their victory over Cairns.
It had been over a month since their last victory, which funnily enough came against Cairns in their season opener in Auckland on September 30.
Swedish 20-year-old Next Star Bobi Klintman was electric in the first quarter for the Taipans, scoring nine points on 3/5 shooting. The Swede is projected as a first round selection in the 2024 NBA Draft and showed his quality to the Christchurch crowd.
The Breakers would have loved a hot start, but found themselves down 21-14 before finishing the term positively to trail 23-21 after the opening 10 minutes.
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Bul Kuol was among the Taipans’ best in Friday’s loss to the Breakers.
Lamb got going for the Breakers late in the first half, driving to the hoop, and providing some much-needed offensive spark.
Cairns took a slim 38-37 lead into halftime, paced by 12 points from South Sudanese-Australian forward Bul Kuol.
Kuol was everywhere in the first half, netting 12 points and producing an emphatic block to deny Le’afa on the breakaway late in the second quarter.
The Breakers weren’t helped by first half trouble to Finn Delany, who had to sit late in the second quarter after picking up his third foul.
Things don’t get any easier for the Breakers with a run of three away games, starting with the two-time defending champion Sydney Kings on Sunday.
They then travel to face the Perth Wildcats next Friday, followed by the Tasmania JackJumpers on November 16.
That challenging stretch of games will feel much better for the Breakers coming off an overdue win.
