Fresh focus for big Breakers battle

Coming home after a tough road win in Sydney against the Kings last round, the Adelaide 36ers face a New Zealand Breakers side on Brett Maher Court this Friday night at the Entertainment Centre full of confidence.

The Breakers have been superb on the road so far in NBL23, winning three of their four matches away from home, including last Sunday’s gritty 68-64 success against the in-form Taipans in Cairns.

New Zealand’s win in Far North Queensland was extra special after the Breakers only managed to score five points in the opening quarter, the lowest by any side in NBL history.

The victory could galvanise a Breakers side who has spent the past two seasons on the road due to the pandemic and is missing star swingman Tom Abercrombie.

Adelaide should be ready to go after having the week off and spending time on the training track to prepare for the Breakers, who only let 78 points per game defensively and will be prepared for the 36ers’ high-powered offense.

THE KEY
William McDowell-White has been given the keys to the Breakers’ offense this season and has been one of the key reasons New Zealand are currently sitting second on the ladder with a 4-2 win-loss record.

McDowell-White is a triple double waiting to happen, the point guard averaging 9.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per contest so far in NBL23 and can be a matchwinner in so many different ways.

He can put points on the board, by attacking the rim and connecting from outside, he can rebound and run the ball in transition and can find his open teammates for easy looks at the basket.

Cairns limited McDowell-White’s influence by attacking him at the defensive end, the Breakers key man fouling out after just 23 minutes of playing time last round, a factor 36ers coach CJ Bruton should look to exploit come Friday night.

THE SECRET
Breakers head coach Mody Maor brought import Barry Brown Jnr off the bench against the Taipans to great effect, the shooting guard scoring a team-high 24 points in tough win on the road.

Brown Jnr has been scoring well so far in NBL23, averaging 18 points per game, while also dishing four assists and pull down 3.5 rebounds per night.

The 191cm Brown Jnr flirted with the NBA, where the Minnesota Timberwolves signed him to their pre-season roster in 2019.

Recently, he averaged 17.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists during his stint with the Beijing Ducks in the previous Chinese League season.

Maor said Brown Jnr is a key piece to the Breakers roster, adding a number of weapons his side needs.

“He is a lockdown defender and was such at college, he can score in a variety of ways, and he has the knack of helping his teams win," Maor said.

THE FINAL WORD
New Zealand’s front court has some real firepower with import duo Dererk Pardon and Jarrell Brantley.

Pardon and Brantley have been key at both ends of the floor for Maor over the first six games on NBL23 and both can be the reason New Zealand win a basketball game on any given night.

Brantley, who is averaging 13 points and 4.6 rebounds, and Pardon, who has been scoring 12 points and grabbing 7.2 rebounds per night, can both fill up the scoring column while also shutting down their match-up at the defensive end.

Coupled with veterans Rob Loe and Tom Vodanovich, the Breakers have more than enough weapons to give the 36ers some headaches inside the paint, and Maor also has Dan Fotu and Sam Timmins at his disposal in that space as well.

Adelaide’s big man department, led by Robert Franks and Daniel Johnson, will have to be on point from the opening tip to get the edge in the keyway.

Expect to see Kai Sotto's minutes increase in this game, while Deng Acuoth and Kyrin Galloway could hit the floor for the first time in NBL23.

The 36ers will have to clean up their defensive rebounding, which has been an Achilles heel so far this season and also limit the points in the paint, the Kings had 58 of their 88 points in the keyway last round.

The 36ers should be riding high on confidence after their final quarter performance against the defending champions last round, but should be ready for the different challenge the Breakers will offer Friday night at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

DEPTH CHART
McDowell-White | McNaught

Le’afa | Brown Jnr | Gliddon

Brantley | Gliddon | Rupert

Pardon | Vodanovich

Loe | Timmins | Fotu