36ers ready for big time Breakers battle

Adelaide 36ers will be looking for back-to-back wins when the side face New Zealand Breakers in Christchurch on Thursday night.

Buoyed after a come-from-behind 96-93 win against South East Melbourne on Brett Maher Court last round, the 36ers have spent the FIBA international break plotting the next part of their NBL24 campaign.

Head coach CJ Bruton said his side has a renewed focus and will take the next block of games leading into the Christmas break as a ‘mini-season’.

“We have had some really good scrimmages and we have had some great team bonding,” Bruton said.

“We are evolving, adding DJ (Vasiljevic) in and welcoming back Trey (Kell) to the group, we were able to add a few more wrinkles to our package and we have been solid.

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Point guard Jason Cadee said his side must be prepared for a Breakers side desperate to get their season back on track.

“We need to go in there really ready to play, I expect their best game off this break and a guy like Mody (Maor, Breakers head coach) to get after them,” Cadee said.

“We just need to go out and play our way, play the right way, and if we can do that for four quarters, I think we can win another basketball game.”

Cadee said the travel for Thursday’s game, and also Saturday’s showdown in Hobart against Tasmania JackJumpers “will be brutal” and says sleep on the plane will be key.

“Going to Christchurch is a little different to going to Auckland, the scheduling hasn’t been too kind to us, but it’s all part of it,” Cadee said.

“But, we are just looking forward to getting back out there and playing after the break.”

The 186cm point guard said having a roster at full strength is a welcome difference for Thursday’s game, after the 36ers have been battling injury and illness recently.

“There were a lot of positives out of that second half (against the Phoenix) and I think Jacob Wiley was really important for us, we need to get him going,” Cadee said.

“Trey Kell coming back helps the moral of the group too.”

Adelaide will go into the showdown with the Breakers at Wolfbrook Arena with confidence, after defeating New Zealand 97-85 late last month across the Tasman.

Breakers head coach Mody Maor told stuff.co.nz he loved to have the power make the New Zealand injury concerns go away, or have endless money to replace his missing stars,

Maor confirmed this week he had not been able to bring in replacements for either import Zylan Cheatham (fractured foot) or playmaking guard Will McDowell (fractured fibula) who are key outs for a team sitting with a 3-7 record.

Lithuanian Next Star Mantas Rubštavicius will return to action after battling a calf injury, which will add to the Breakers’ perimeter unit down on firepower.

“The urgent matter over this last week was to figure out and implement how we play without Will,” Moar said.

“He’s a huge part of how we play on offence and was our motor in certain ways. There’s not another player who can do Will’s things.

“So we had a week to implement a few different concepts in how we want to play, especially offensively, and hopefully this will be something we do well, and will help us catch a rhythm, play together and play connected.”

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS vs ADELAIDE 36ERS
Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch - Thursday, 5pm ACDT

LIKELY STARTERS
New Zealand: Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Izayah Le’Afa, Anthony Lamb, Finn Delany, Mangok Mathiang.
Adelaide: Mitch McCarron, DJ Vasiljevic, Trey Kell, Jacob Wiley, Isaac Humphries

STATS THAT MATTER

• The away team has won four of the last five games between New Zealand and Adelaide.
• Adelaide has lost the first half in each of its last nine games.
• Parker Jackson-Cartwright is the only New Zealand player to have started every game this season.
• Adelaide has lost each of its last three games after leading at half-time.
• Anthony Lamb (20.1) and Parker Jackson-Cartwright (20.5) rank 1st and 2nd amongst qualified players for points per game this season.
• Adelaide ranks 1st in the league for free throw percentage this season (78.0%).
• Jacob Wiley recorded a career-high 14 rebounds against the Phoenix last round.
• DJ Vasiljevic has recorded 35 career three-pointers against New Zealand - most against any opponent.
• New Zealand has won the first half in each of its last four games against Adelaide.