Breakers dig deep to just stay alive

The Tasmania JackJumpers made their job awfully tough but the winner on Saturday at Spark Arena was going to keep themselves in touch of NBL sixth spot and the New Zealand Breakers prevailed 106-95 over the Illawarra Hawks.

The Breakers saw their 16-point third-quarter lead slashed to just two early in the fourth at Auckland's Spark Arena on Saturday, before the Hawks' rearguard ran out of puff in the final term.

Despite the absence of Sam Mennenga, Karim Lopez and Rob Baker II, and then Parker Jackson-Cartwright having two early fouls, the Breakers set the tone with 33 points in the first quarter.

JaVale McGee had 15 points and seven rebounds to half-time for Illawarra, but New Zealand were leading by 11 having put up 61 points so coach Justin Tatum went small in the second half with McGee not returning after half-time.

It did work to a degree as the Hawks got back as close as two, but the Breakers had the answers as they improve to a 12-19 record but still are two games behind the sixth placed Tasmania JackJumpers along with significant percentage.

It was a performance full of heart from New Zealand with their three-guard rotation of Izaiah Brockington (27 points, four rebounds, four assists), Jackson-Cartwright (23 points, eight boards, six assists) and Tai Webster (17 points, five rebounds, three steals) outstanding.

Rob Loe was crucial down low in the absence of Mennenga, Lopez and Baker II with 13 points with Jack Andrew backing him up with six points in 12:32.

The loss means the Hawks are all but done in their championship defence at 11-19 with Todd Blanchfield finishing with 19 points and six rebounds, Tyler Harvey 19 points and five assists, and Davo Hickey 14 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to narrowly miss a triple-double.

The Breakers rode their full-court press and Brockington's 12 first-quarter points to a 33-25 lead at the first break.

The Hawks continued to bleed defensively in the second term, which ended on a Rob Loe three that extended the Breakers' advantage to 61-50 at half-time.

McGee put on a one-man show for the visitors in the opening half, but the three-time NBA champion played no further part in the contest as Tatum opted to steady the ship with a small-ball line-up.

After the margin blew out to 78-62, the ploy looked to have paid off as Harvey and Hickey masterminded an 18-6 close to the third stanza, to trim the gap to 84-80.

Hawks import QJ Peterson cut the Breakers' lead to 84-82 early in the fourth, before he fouled out with just five points. He didn't take it well.

Peterson ripped himself away from McGee's attempted high-five and stormed angrily through an exit door, narrowly avoiding a stadium staff member in the process and ending up with his left eyebrow bleeding after the door flung back at him.

The Hawks became plagued by turnovers down the stretch while also having no answers for a series of clutch plays from Jackson-Cartwright and Brockington.

The Breakers now have two games in their season remaining starting away to the Adelaide 36ers next Saturday and then at home to the Cairns Taipans the following Thursday.

The Hawks still have three games to play with the first against the Sydney Kings in Wollongong on Friday before two road games to Melbourne United and the Tasmania JackJumpers.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26 – ROUND 20

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 106 (Brockington 27, Jackson-Cartwright 23, Webster 17)

ILLAWARRA HAWKS 95 (Harvey 19, Blanchfield 19, McGee 15)

BOX SCORE