Bullets impress to win season-opener in NZ
Share
Brisbane’s new era began with Casey Prather, Tyrell Harrison and Jaylen Adams leading the charge in a season-opening win over the Breakers.
Casey Prather has burst out of the NBL blocks for Brisbane, punishing the sloppy New Zealand Breakers to give new coach Stu Lash a winning start.
The three-time championship player, with Perth and Melbourne, looked near his best in Friday's 104-95 season-opening win in Auckland.
Prather scored the Bullets' first seven points and finished with 27 on the back of knocking down 4/8 from three-point territory.
Imposing centre Tyrell Harrison (24 points, 15 rebounds) was crucial and former league MVP Jaylen Adams (14 points, seven assists, six steals) and gun import Javon Freeman-Liberty (17 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals) had their moments.
The Breakers shot 5/29 from three-point range and contributed 16 turnovers, including three in consecutive plays to undo any hope of a final-quarter comeback.
Breakers import Izaiah Brockington (16 points) couldn't get a foothold in his NBL debut while Parker Jackson-Cartwright (16 points) had 12 assists but six turnovers.
Sam Mennenga battled hard for 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists with Rob Baker II showing encouraging signs in 19 minutes with 12 points and five boards while returning veteran Reuben Te Rangi contributed 12 points with a couple of three-pointers.
The Bullets will sweat on a knee injury to veteran guard Mitch Norton though, who was carried off the court in the second quarter.
Rookie American coach Lash, the club's former advisor, replaced the axed Justin Schueller and brought in former Sydney Kings guard and 2022 NBL MVP and fellow import Javon Freeman-Liberty.
That trio worked smoothly together in a contest that went bucket-for-bucket until late in the third quarter.
Back home after being part of the NBA championship with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Alex Ducas (10 points, three assists) hit two early triples and showed he too will be useful for Lash.
Freeman-Liberty showed off his explosive leap for a fast-break dunk before an Adams floater, after Carlin Davison's missed slam at the other end, gave the Bullets a two-point halftime lead.
There were 24 lead changes in the first half but only two more after the main break with Sam McDaniel (10 points) and Adams both making plays to extinguish Breakers revivals.
The Breakers have the quick turnaround to hitting the road for the first time in NBL26 to take on Melbourne United at John Cain Arena on Sunday while the Bullets remain on the road to Cairns and Adelaide next Friday and Sunday.
HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26
NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 95 (Jackson-Cartwright 16, Brockington 16, Mennenga 14)
BRISBANE BULLETS 104 (Prather 27, Harrison 24, Freeman-Liberty 17)
