NZ keep building winning last home game of 2025

The New Zealand Breakers made the most of a first home game in six weeks at Spark Arena and their last of 2025 to keep their momentum building this NBL season with the 99-86 win against the Tasmania JackJumpers.

The Breakers were playing at Spark Arena for the first time since October 17 and for the last time until January 4, and got off to the hot start and while the JackJumpers kept fighting, the home team had all the answers.

New Zealand went on to score the 13-point victory to have won three straight games and four of the past five to now have replaced the JackJumpers in sixth position at 7-10.

The Breakers scored the first nine points of the game and led by as much as 17 in the opening quarter before seeing their lead whittled back to two points shortly before half-time.

However, New Zealand went on a 16-6 run for the rest of the opening half including Rob Baker knocking down three triples in those final minutes for the Breakers to be leading 52-41 at the break.

Even with Josh Bannan scoring 10 points for Tasmania in the third quarter and Bryce Hamilton catching fire for his team's last nine points, the Breakers continued to have the answers to be leading by 10 still at three quarter-time.

They completed the job for the 13-point win with Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Sam Mennenga combining for 26 points in the second half after just six in the first.

That was after Baker II and Izaiah Brockington put up 29 first-half points and then 11 in the second highlighting the even contribution the Breakers received to keep their momentum going.

Brockington top-scored with 22 points with four rebounds and four assists while Baker II added 18 points and nine boards, Jackson-Cartwright 16 points and 12 assists, and Mennenga 16 points and nine rebounds.

Next Star Karim Lopez did pick up a third foul before half-time but delivered 15 points and four rebounds as well.

The JackJumpers have now lost seven of their past eight games to slip out of the top six with Bryce Hamilton finishing with 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists, Will Magnay 18 points, seven boards and four blocks, Josh Bannan 12 points and six rebounds, and Majok Deng 11 points.

It was a tough night for import point guard Tyger Campbell, though, who had just two points, two rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes.

Tasmania snapped their six-match losing run with the 104-81 home win over Sydney before the FIBA break, but they came out flat against New Zealand.

It was a dunk fest in the opening term as the Breakers dominated their opponents in almost every aspect of the game, including pulling down nine offensive rebounds to three.

The lead blew out to as much as 17 points before the scoreboard was trimmed back to 28-14 by quarter-time.

New Zealand's hunger was typified by the number of put-back dunks they were able to pull off, and it took the JackJumpers until the second term to finally start putting up a fight.

Deng and Magnay both posted 11 points for the term as the surging JackJumpers closed the gap to two points with less than three minutes remaining in the half.

The Breakers finished it with a bang to boost their lead back out to 11 by the long break.

Breakers big man Mennenga produced one of the dunks of the season in the third quarter when he unleashed a left-handed slam down over Magnay.

Tasmania entered the final term facing an 80-70 deficit, but it was game on when the margin was whittled down to six points midway through the last.

Their shots went cold from there, allowing New Zealand to cruise to victory.

The JackJumpers are now next in action in an Ignite Cup match up in Gippsland with the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Wednesday while the Breakers play in that same venue against the same opponent next Saturday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 99 (Brockington 22, Baker II 18, Jackson-Cartwright 16, Mennenga 16)

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 86 (Hamilton 21, Magnay 18, Bannan 12)

BOX SCORE