DJ, Carlin deliver OT win for Breakers

DJ Vasiljevic had his best performance with the New Zealand Breakers and Carlin Davison delivered a dazzling triple-double but they still needed overtime to overcome the Brisbane Bullets 94-90 at Spark Arena.

The Breakers were back at Spark Arena attempting to snap a five-game losing slide while the Bullets arrived trying to bounce back from a big loss in Melbourne.

The Bullets scored 14 straight points either side of quarter-time to open up a 12-point lead but scores were back level by half-time and it remained a tight affair from there.

Taine Murray hit a huge shot late in regulation to give Brisbane the lead before Vasiljevic made one free-throw that ultimately got the game to overtime.

Then in the extra period, Vasiljevic continued his best night as a Breaker including a dagger three from trademark way downtown territory, before Davison found Charles Bediako for a dunk and New Zealand won by four to improve to 5-8 on the season.

Vasiljevic broke out for his best game of the season with the Breakers for 36 points on 12/20 shooting from the field, 3/7 from the outside and 9/10 at the foul line.

Davison then produced the first triple-double of his career in a dazzling display after Parker Jackson-Cartwright was ruled out for the rest of the season this week. He finished with 19 points, 13 assists, 12 rebounds and three steals while hitting 4/7 from beyond the arc.

Bediako also had 12 points, seven rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocks, while Sam Mennenga had to work hard for his nine points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

The Bullets are now 6-7 with Tyrell Harrison finishing with 22 points and six rebounds with Raul Neto contributing 20 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, and Nate Hinton 18 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and two blocks along with a standout defensive job on Mennenga.

The Breakers made the perfect start to coming home with a triple from Carlin Davison but the Bullets responded nicely firstly with a 7-0 run to be leading 9-5 following a Raul Neto offensive rebound and put back.

Brisbane then also closed the last quarter scoring the last 12 points to turn a 14-12 lead for the Breakers to a 24-14 advantage to the Bullets by quarter-time with Neto and Nate Hinton having eight points apiece.

The Bullets also scored the first two points of the second quarter with a bucket to Hinton to complete the 14-0 run and open up a 12-point lead.

But the Breakers did well to respond and outscored the Bullets 26 points to 14 for the rest of the half with scores all level at 40-40 by the half-time break.

The Bullets hadn’t made a free-throw in the first half missing all four attempts while the Breakers went 8/13 at the stripe but Brisbane were shooting 17/38 from the field and 6/19 from the outside to the 14/34 and 4/13 from the home team.

Tyrell Harrison then had a huge third quarter for the Bullets with 10 points including a string of powerful dunks and that helped his team to the narrow 62-60 lead by three quarter-time despite another nine points from DJ Vasiljevic and with Carlin Davison closing in on a triple-double with eight points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

Brisbane then went on a 10-0 run early in the fourth quarter to open up a nine-point advantage to throw down the challenge again to the Breakers, but the home team responded and with another dunk in transition to Davison, it was a two-point ball game with four minutes to play.

Hinton pushed the Brisbane lead back out to five with a three ball out of a timeout, but again New Zealand responded and just after completing his triple-double, Davison landed from the outside too to tie scores up.

Taine Murray then hit a huge three back in his hometown with 33 seconds to go to put the Bullets back up one before Vasiljevic went to the line up the other end to make one and tie the score with 23.4 seconds on the clock.

Will Weaver called the timeout to draw up the last play but the Breakers did well locking in on Neto and forcing a timeout before Sam Mennenga threw up a halfcourt prayer but the game went to overtime.

Vasiljevic opened up with a triple to open the extra period before Davison found Charles Bediako for a dunk but Brisbane again responded with the next six points from Neto to have scores level once more.

Vasiljevic then landed one from way downtown with a minute to go before the Breakers secured the win with yet another alley-oop dish from Davison to Bediako for the flush.

Both teams now have quick turnarounds to playing again on Sunday with the Breakers on the road to the Sydney Kings while the Bullets are back home to host the Tasmania JackJumpers.

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 94 – BRISBANE BULLETS 90

NZ Breakers
DJ Vasiljevic – 36 points, 3 rebounds, 12/20 FG
Carlin Davison – 19 points, 13 assists, 12 rebounds
Charles Bediako – 12 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists
Sam Mennenga – 9 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks
Reuben Te Rangi – 7 points, 3 rebounds

Brisbane Bullets
Tyrell Harrison – 22 points, 6 rebounds
Raul Neto – 20 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds
Nate Hinton – 18 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists
Taine Murray – 7 points
Mitch Norton – 6 points, 3 assists