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The stumbling New Zealand Breakers will be looking to get back into the finals race tonight, as they welcome the lowly Townsville Crocodiles to Vector Arena. Join The Roar from 5:25pm (AEDT) for live scores and updates.
The Crocs sent shockwaves through the league last week, as they absolutely dismantled the Breakers by 23 points in Townsville. The loss was a huge one for the Breakers, as they have now dropped out of the top four, thanks to their six-game losing streak, which has included multiple double-digit losses.
New Zealand, last season’s champions, have fallen off a cliff in the second half of the season, as their top-ranked defense is allowing easy baskets and the offense simply cannot hit a shot. It was a pretty simple formula that would set up any basketball team for failure and this has been the case for the Breakers.
The Breakers inconsistent form has been frustrating for fans, players, head coach Dean Vickerman and even assistant coach Paul Henare, who told NBL.com.au, “We still have faith that we can produce some quality basketball but obviously the sense of urgency is heightened now with where we’re at.”
“For whatever reason there’s a major drop-off.” Henare continued. “It’s not like it’s a minor drop-off and you grind your way through and come up short.”
For the Breakers, a key to victory tonight will be getting the NBL’s second-leading scorer Corey Webster back into a rhythm. In last week’s game against the Crocs, Webster shot just 4-of-12 from the field en route to 11 points. In the Breakers most recent loss to the Cairns Taipans, Webster wasn’t much better, scoring 11 points again on 3-of-13 from the floor.
Webster is one of the NBL’s most proficient scorers, as he is putting up 21.7 points per game this season. His recent shooting woes though have caused his shooting percentage to drop down to 40.7 per cent. Scoring points is one thing but being efficient while doing it is another. If New Zealand wish to win tonight and get back into the finals hunt, Webster will need to get back to hitting shots at a high clip.
For the Crocodiles, Jordair Jett is a good barometer for their success, or lack of. Jett is averaging 14.8 points per game this season but whether that number raises or falls is a good indication of if Townsville got the win or not.
In wins, Jett is putting up 18.3 points per game, while shooting a very impressive 48.1 per cent from the field. In losses though, Jett’s numbers dip dramatically, as his scoring average is 12.8 points per game and his field goal percentage goes down to 40.8 per cent.
Jett and Webster are just one of the intriguing storylines to watch tonight. How will Thomas Abercrombie and Clint Steindl go at each other at the small forward spot? Will Omar Samhan continue his double-double spree? Can veteran Mike Vukona get the Breakers back to playing the brand of basketball they know they can? We will find out answers to all those tonight.
Prediction
While Townsville did take care of business against New Zealand last week, don’t expect the same to happen tonight. While the Breakers have been shocking as of late, the sense of urgency to make the finals will begin tonight for the defending champions.
Breakers by 8.
Will the Breakers break out of their funk or will the Crocodiles bite them once again? Find out tonight and join The Roar from 5:25pm (AEDT) and as always, leave a comment with your thoughts on the game!
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