Bullets dig deep for crucial NZ win

The Brisbane Bullets showed great heart and spirit to hold out the New Zealand Breakers for a crucial win in Christchurch with a host players coming up big in the 93-87 win.

The Bullets arrived in Christchurch needing a win against the Breakers to keep their top six hopes alive. While they did welcome back Casey Prather and Deng Adel, they were still missing Tyrell Harrison, Rocco Zikarsky and Emmett Naar.

Callum Dalton joined the team as a replacement for Harrison until he's cleared of concussion symptoms and he played an important five minutes while all the Bullets players stepped up to play their part in the win.

Brisbane worked on top midway through the first quarter after a slow start and then led the rest of the contest by as much as 11 points, and despite the Breakers getting back within two late, held on for the six-point win to improve to an 11-15 record.

The Bullets did get up 37 three-point attempts for the game and made 14 of those at 37 per cent with Cook going 5/12, Prather 5/11, and then Mitch Norton, Tohi Smith-Milner, Isaac White and Josh Adams making one each.

Cook finished with his best performance of the season against the Breakers with 26 points and six assists while Prather was a welcome returnee to the line-up and delivered 24 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Josh Bannan came up huge as well with 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals while Smith-Milner contributed 10 points and seven boards, Norton eight points, three rebounds and two assists, and Deng Adel two points and two rebounds

Matt Mooney finished with 24 points for New Zealand while Parker Jackson-Cartwright had 19 points and nine assists, and Tacko Fall 12 points and five rebounds.

It wasn’t the ideal start for the Bullets with just the one field goal made in almost the first five minutes with New Zealand opening up 12-2, but Brisbane then did well to work into the contest.

The Bullets scored 10 quick points in two minutes including three-pointers to Keandre Cook and Casey Prather before then another 8-0 with three balls to Tohi Smith-Milner and Cook helped them lead 21-19 after one.

Brisbane's lead was then out to five to start the second frame with Prather making another three-pointer and it gradually kept growing to be out to as much as nine just before half-time with Cook knocking down a fourth shot from behind the arc.

The Bullets were still on top 46-40 at the half-time break with Prather and Cook combining for 32 points with 8/17 three-point shooting while the Breakers stayed in touch with 20 free-throw attempts.

After New Zealand closed back within two to start the second half, Josh Adams hit a triple for the Bullets to put the lead back out to five and then Prather and Mitch Norton both converted and-one plays.

Isaac White also knocked down a three but the Bullets were just clinging to the 66-63 advantage by three quarter-time before Brisbane opened the fourth term on fire with six quick points starting with a long ball from Norton.

The Bullets pushed out to a double-digit lead soon after when Prather made a fifth three of the game, but the Breakers weren’t going away and got back within four when Matt Mooney made on from the outside.

Brisbane answered with a three-pointer from Cook and Smith-Milner finished inside, and then Josh Bannan made two massive shots but still the Bullets couldn’t quite shake the home team.

New Zealand closed within two thanks to four points from Mooney, but the biggest play of the game was Prather finding Smith-Milner unchecked for the little floater with 18 seconds to go, and the Bullets secured the six-point win.

The Bullets now have the quick turnaround to return home for the last game of the regular season at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre up against Melbourne United on Sunday afternoon.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2024/25

BRISBANE BULLETS 93 (Cook 26, Prather 24, Bannan 17)

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 87 (Mooney 24, Jackson-Cartwright 19, Fall 12)

BOX SCORE