"Flashes of how good we can be": Breakers set standard

Saturday’s win over Cairns did more than keep the New Zealand Breakers’ Finals hopes alive; it offered a clear reminder of just how dangerous they can be when everything comes together.

The 18-point win at the 2026 HoopsFest in Perth moved the Breakers onto 10-15 for the season, just two wins behind the sixth-placed Tasmania JackJumpers, who lost to Melbourne United on Saturday.

One of the stars of the show was Sam Mennenga, who finished with a game-high 28 points against his former team Cairns, and explained how vital the Round 17 win was for his side.

"It was a good win and importantly the whole team was enjoying themselves. The vibe and energy was good, so hopefully we can piece that together more now [moving forward]," Mennenga said during Saturday's post-game press conference.

"[The win] shows that we're maturing as a group and are showing flashes of how good we can be.

"We've now set ourselves [the standard of] where we need to be, because we have to win every game [from here to make the Playoffs].

"To do that, we have to continue to put in the work every day."

Echoing Mennenga's thoughts was Breakers coach Petteri Koponen, who credited the team's ball control as the key to not only Saturday's win, but also their remaining eight games of the regular season.

"The guys did a great job playing with effort and eventually in the second half, they got tired," Koponen said.

"We only had four turnovers and won the possession game, which helped us take care of business.

"[The other key was] we made things tough for Jack McVeigh. Karim [Lopez], Reuben [Te Rangi] and Carlin [Davison] all did a really good job on him. It was a team effort [and we need to continue with that standard over the next few games].

"[As we only now have a short turnaround] we need to quickly recover and get ready for South East Melbourne on Wednesday, who are going to be another big challenge.

"[Against South East Melbourne] we have to find a balance about when is best to attack their aggressive defence."

Wednesday's fixture is the Breakers' final Ignite Cup clash, with a win cementing their spot in the inaugural Final on the Gold Coast on February 22.

The Ignite Cup matchup, at the State Basketball Centre, tips off at 7.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.

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