Tom Abercrombie of the Breakers dunks the ball. Photo / Getty Images
NZ Breakers 76
Sydney Kings 59
The Breakers wore smiles at the end of tonight's match but for a long time they were grimaces as they stumbled their way to their first win at home this season.
In the end, they won comfortably, thanks largely to some late fourth-quarter scoring and a poor Sydney side, but they made heavy weather of their first game at Vector Arena.
In years gone by, any Breakers win was a good one, but times have changed.
The Breakers go into the season as defending champions and are among the favourites to be among the action when the prizes are handed out again.
They have the side to be there, even without Kirk Penney, and take their season's record to four wins from five games.
CJ Bruton, the old war horse, helped settle the result with a game-high 21 points, all scored in the second half, and he was well supported by import Gary Wilkinson.
The Breakers started off well enough, cruising to a 20-8 quarter-time lead thanks to the speed of Cedric Jackson and poise of Daryl Corletto.
At that stage, it looked like a case of by how much rather than if and a repeat of the round two match between the sides when the Breakers thrashed Sydney by 37 points.
But they lost their way as passes went astray, shots rimmed out and Sydney started to play. Amazingly, the Breakers managed only six points in eight minutes of basketball and allowed the Kings to cut the deficit to 26-24.
Neither side were particularly good in a low-quality contest both shots one from 17 from beyond the three-point line in the first half and the frustration started to show from the home side.
Coach Andrej Lemanis was even slapped with a technical foul. It was almost as if the Breakers were trying too hard in front of their biggest home crowd (6400) in their history.
It took Gary Wilkinson to earn them some breathing space with eight points in quick time, which prompted the chest pump followed by the the double-arm wave he became known for last season.
He got the opening points of the second half a sweet three-pointer and CJ Bruton started to find his range after a horror opening half when he went pointless but it still wasn't totally convincing.
Even Alex Pledger managed to get the ball stuck on the rim as he went for a dunk.
The Breakers never looked in danger of losing Sydney weren't good enough to make them pay and they found more fluidity as the game wore on.
Jackson and Corletto look to be a good acquisitions.
Jackson plays at a speed faster than most in the league and his penetration and pass to Mika Vukona in the second quarter was exquisite. He also carries well and hustles on defence.
Corletto is a simple player he doesn't overplay things and knows his game.
The change in personnel has meant a change in approach. Without Kirk Penney, they look to penetrate more and play more of an inside game.
The fact they had such an unimpressive night from distance (eight from 29) only heightened that.
The Breakers return to their regular home on the North Shore on Thursday to play Adelaide when they should be smiling again.
NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 76 (C Bruton 21 G Wilkinson 20 D Corletto 10) bt SYDNEY KINGS 59 (J Khazzouh 16 J Grant 12 A Bruce 11) at Vector Arena.
- APNZ
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