- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Adelaide’s shocking travel schedule has caught up with them as they crumbled in a 20-point NBL loss to the New Zealand Breakers.
A breakout performance from Finn Delany has led the New Zealand Breakers to a 114-94 NBL victory over the flagging Adelaide 36ers.
Sunday’s game was the Breakers’ first home win of the season.
Unheralded Kiwi forward Delany came off the bench to score a career-high 27 points, helping his team overcome a 14-point deficit midway through the opening quarter.
Usually a role player in the Breaker’s rotation, Delany was irresistible when he drove to the basket, bringing the crowd to life at Spark Arena.
The Breakers had suffered heavy losses to Brisbane and Sydney in their two previous home games in Auckland.
Centre Shawn Long came alive in the second half to finish with 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
Another American, Armani Moore, silenced critics who have questioned his quality with 17 points.
Adelaide had played just two days earlier, beating the Taipans in Cairns, before 12 hours of travel had them arriving in Auckland at 1am on Sunday, 13 hours before tip-off.
The scoreboard told their story. Their fast-paced offence functioned exceptionally in the first quarter as they poured in 37 points.
They managed just eight in the final stanza as the Breakers’ high-speed approach ultimately paid dividends.
American Jacob Wiley scored 23 points while it was a career-high return for bench big man Harry Froling, who had 20 points and nine rebounds.
Boomers guard Nathan Sobey, coming off a triple-double against Cairns, was under tight watch from Shea Ilia and managed just 10 points.
Sobey said the travel wasn’t an excuse, believing his team had simply failed to shut down a player who was in the zone.
“They made some tough shots. Finn was all over the place and we couldn’t contain him,” he said.
“We didn’t really knuckle down on that and it hurt us in the end.”
Moore’s best game was one he felt was coming after three modest returns in his rookie NBL season.
“I never listen to media or anything like that. I know how hard I’ve been working,” he said.
“Being an import or not, it’s the beginning of the season and everybody’s trying to figure a lot of things out.”
Adelaide’s record slips to 3-3 while the Breakers, at 2-2, climb off the bottom of the ladder and into a mid-table logjam.
Adelaide will hope to have American Ramone Moore (calf strain) back for their round four double-header next week against Brisbane.
Build your own ultimate team! Pick your key players and take a shot at big cash prizes every day with Draftstars. For great odds on NBA games every day head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.