NZL/AUS – Bruton, big game Breakers win first NBL title

AUCKLAND (NBL) – The big game Olympic and FIBA World Championship experience of the New Zealand Breakers has guided them to their first NBL championship as they put on a clinical Game Three performance to strangle the Cairns Taipans 71-53.

While their smothering defence - which would have been at home at last year’s FIBA World Championship in Turkey – set up the win, star Australian Boomers guard CJ Bruton hit the big shots to seal the victory in front of a deafening sell-out crowd.

Bruton led all scorers with 14 points on 4/7 three-point shooting, and his two successive long range triples in the fourth quarter ended any chance the Taipans had and sent the 4400 Breakers fans into party mode. Kirk Penney (11 points, 3/10 fg) shrugged off a poor shooting night to nail a leaning three-pointer to cap the victory with 1:03 remaining.

The Breakers led 17-15 at quarter time, 37-30 at half time and 57-45 at three quarter time before running out 18-point winners. They won the rebound count 43-36, scored more points in the paint, more second chance points, secured more steals and scored more points off turnovers in a display that oozed big game experience.

An estimated 150,000 New Zealanders also watched the broadcast on Sky Sports, one of the biggest ever audiences for a basketball game in the Shaky Isles.

Emerging international star Tom Abercrombie (7 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals) won the Larry Sengstock medal for Grand Final MVP after averaging 11ppg and 7rpg and playing suffocating defence across the three games.

Tough New Zealand forward Mika Vukona (9 points, 10 rebounds) was also an MVP candidate, as was young 216cm centre Alex Pledger who averaged 9ppg and 6rpg in just 16 minutes per contest to show he is ready to be a factor in this year’s FIBA Oceania Championship.

The Breakers’ win sees them secure a place in history as the first Kiwi team to win an Australian sporting competition. With the majority of the team likely to return next season, including star internationals Penney, Bruton, Abercrombie and Vukona, they may not have to wait long for a repeat dose.

For Cairns, former Minnesota Gopher Dusty Rychart was the only player in double figures with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Paulo Kennedy

FIBA