Breakers too strong for 36ers in Auckland

Adelaide 36ers have fallen to New Zealand Breakers 109-82 at Spark Arena in Auckland on Saturday night.

The 36ers made several runs at the Breakers but were unable to stop New Zealand after an opening quarter offensive display from the home side.

Montrezl Harrell scored a game-high 25 points, to go with six rebounds, while Kendric Davis scored 18 points to go with six assists, while Montrezl Harrell added xx points and captain DJ Vasiljevic with 16 points.

Jarell Martin showed some great signs in his best game for the club, scoring 11 points to go with three rebounds and three steals.

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The home side started on target, scoring the game’s first 10 points before Vasiljevic connected on a tough layup.

Adelaide’s offense was stagnant in the opening quarter, missing seven of the first nine shots as the Breakers through Sam Mennenga (14 points, six rebounds) and Karim Lopez (17 points, seven rebounds) to open a double-digit lead.

Isaac Humphries returned from calf tightness, but early foul trouble plagued the visitors, who were already missing Lat Mayen (lower back strain).

Davis got to the hoop and Martin scored on three consecutive trips, but the Breakers through Parker Jackson-Cartwright (25 points, six assists) took a 33-19 lead into the first break.

Harrell got his scoring underway to start the second quarter, then found Martin for his first three-pointer of the game as the margin was reduced to 33-24.

The 201cm power forward then scored in consecutive trips, including one huge slam dunk as the 36ers cut the Breakers’ margin to seven points.

Davis converted on a three-point play, then Humphries scored his first points of the game to cut the lead to 39-35.

Martin, Davis and Harrell combined for 31 points in the opening half, but the Breakers went on a 7-0 run to end the quarter and took a 52-39 lead into the main interval.

The Breakers again attacked the hoop to start the third quarter, New Zealand building their biggest lead of the game at 16 points at 59-43.

A triple from Dech reduced the margin to 12 points, but the Breakers then started to hit from downtown as the New Zealand took a 86-58 lead into the final 10 minutes.

Adelaide showed fight early in the final quarter, Vasiljevic swished a triple, Harrell scored down low then threw down another dunk to reduce the margin to 90-70.

But that was the closest the 36ers got, Adelaide will look to regroup next week at home against Illawarra Hawks at the Entertainment Centre on Sunday afternoon.

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 109 (Jackson-Cartwright 25, Lopez 17, Mooney 17) def ADELAIDE 36ERS 82 (Harrell 25, Davis18, Vasiljevic 16) at Spark Arena, Auckland.

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