Breakers star admits he hasn’t been up to standard

Five straight losses. Parker Jackson-Cartwright gone for the season. And their most lethal shooter stuck in the leanest stretch of his career.

The New Zealand Breakers needed someone to break the spell on Friday night, and DJ Vasiljevic delivered in spectacular fashion.

The two-time champion poured in 36 points to lift the Breakers to an overtime win over the Brisbane Bullets at Spark Arena, then handed the credit straight to his teammates ahead of Sunday’s return to Sydney.

It was only the Breakers’ fourth home game of NBL27, and Vasiljevic arrived averaging just 9 points on 33 per cent shooting from the field and 21 per cent from three across the previous five matches. Those are unfamiliar numbers for a player with 192 games and two championships to his name, but he has proven too good to stay down for long.

Against the Bullets, he produced his best performance in Breakers colours: 36 points on 12/20 from the floor, 3/7 from deep and 9/10 at the line. The biggest of those makes came in overtime, a triple from way downtown that went a long way to sealing the result.

For Vasiljevic, though, what mattered most was helping the Breakers avoid a sixth straight defeat.

“I think we had a bit of desperation at shootaround and we knew we had to stick together and talk and communicate, and I think that’s what set the tone,” Vasiljevic said.

“We were able to get stops when we needed to and get scores as well so a big shoutout to the guys and it’s the monkey off the back now and we’ve got to go to Sydney.”

Vasiljevic never lost faith in his preparation, the same work ethic that has carried him through his NBL career in Sydney and Adelaide and, before that, at the University of Miami. He knew a night like this wasn’t far away.

But he was just as quick to share the love, particularly with makeshift point guard Carlin Davison, who posted a stunning triple-double.

“I give all the credit to my teammates and coaching staff,” Vasiljevic said.

“Obviously coach called out the plays and guys were able to screen, and Carlin is a very underrated point guard and had the 13 assists. I’d love to know how many he passed to me today, but he was able to find me where I needed to.

“I think there’s a natural instinct of doing the work throughout the week, and I felt like I was doing a lot to prepare myself.

“I haven’t been playing up to the standard that people know I can and I was able to come out and do that tonight. You just know that if you do the work, the time will come.”

Sunday's fixture between New Zealand and Sydney tips off at 3pm AEDT, live on ESPN.