Webster demolition job for Breakers on Sixers

It is the most remarkable game we've seen in #NBL21 for so many reasons and after everything they've gone through, the New Zealand Breakers broke out on the back of 58 points from the Webster brothers to hammer the Adelaide 36ers 106-62.

To start with, the Breakers came out an inspired outfit, and without question delivered their best performance of the season. That was despite having been on the road for nearly three months straight now and being without two of their regular starters Rob Loe and Lamar Patterson.

But stunningly they scored the game's opening 14 points and were never headed by the 36ers from there. With Corey and Tai Webster hitting 29 points apiece and shooting the ball at a scorching clip, they got to live out the dream of all brothers to dominate a game of professional basketball together.

The rest of the team came along for the ride for the 44-point win that set all sorts of records, but for every bit as good as the Breakers were, you can't hide from the fact the 36ers were every bit as bad.

The Sixers went 2/14 from the field for six points and six turnovers in the opening period. They had just 30 points on the board to be 30 points behind at half-time with Tony Crocker, Josh Giddey and Isaac Humphries scoreless and combining to go 0/4.

Humphries had an excuse, though, and he was the other devastating story of the game for the 36ers. He hobbled off with a foot injury in the first quarter and didn’t return.

Things didn’t improve in the second half and New Zealand went on their merry way. Having already led by their biggest half-time lead in club history, the 44-point final margin was the biggest win in the history of a Breakers franchise with four championship banners hanging.

Considering New Zealand had lost its last four games by double-figures, there was no sign of what was to come. Even with the Breakers starting well, the 36ers had been down 36-10 two days prior against Melbourne United and almost pulled off a miracle comeback.

There was no sign of it this time around and the Webster brothers had a party. They had 38 points between them at the half and didn’t let up with Tai finishing with 29 points and 11 assists on 8/14 shooting from the field, 3/5 from downtown and 10/16 at the foul line.

Older brother Corey had 29 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals on 11/19 from the floor and 5/9 from beyond the arc.

They were the only Breakers to score in double-figure but there were a heap more contributors.

Finn Delany finished with nine points and four rebounds, Colter Iverson eight points and eight boards, Kyrin Galloway eight points and five rebounds, Rasmus Bach eight points and five boards, Jarrad Weeks seven points and two assists, and Tom Abercrombie seven points.

Breakers coach Dan Shamir was a relieved man that the win means his group won't be feeling how they were before the performance.

"I don’t know if anybody who isn’t in professional sports knows the feeling of what we were feeling like until two hours ago. It's a very bad life and every kind of win is super important, and in my personality I don’t overreact to a win like that," Shamir said. 

"Obviously it was a great game and in our business these things happen. We started the game very well and for whatever reason it went this way, and it was just something to ride on. It is just one win in a league where we are behind a lot but hopefully we can ride on it and build on it."

The complete opposite was the case for Adelaide. Jack McVeigh had 20 points and five rebounds on the back of a 16-point second quarter. Daniel Johnson had 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists but there was nothing else to write home about.

Adelaide coach Conner Henry wasn’t making excuses afterwards, but can see some reasons for it.

"Four games in seven days, not being able to train consistently with our core group because of injuries, not being able to train with the other guys who have specific roles and we're not in a good spot.

We discussed just this scenario about making sure we are ready to go and battling through fatigue, and as you saw in that first quarter it got way out of hand. 

"We weren’t able to stop it and then basically the game's over and we basically trade pretty much from there on out even though they win every quarter."

It was the most remarkable start with New Zealand starting with a three from Finn Delany. Tom Abercrombie added another with Corey and Tai Webster adding four points apiece for the 14-0 start.

Even using two first quarter timeouts didn’t give Conner Henry the chance to get his team to turn the tide and while Adelaide scored just six points in the term, New Zealand racked up 32 including going on another 8-0 and then Corey Webster dropping third triple, and Kyrin Galloway another.

Adelaide was able to turn things around against Melbourne because the pressure United put them under led to that start, this time it was self-inflicted 36ers wounds combined with hot Breakers shooting.

Neither of them stopped this time around. New Zealand still scored the first five points of the second quarter and when Galloway connected from downtown again, it was 42-11. 

When Corey Webster hit another bomb it was 49-18 and then 60-28 just before half-time with three more long balls connecting for the Webster brothers.

New Zealand led by a record 30 points at the half having shot a stunning 22/32 from the field and 11/16 from beyond the arc. The Webster brothers shot 13/19 and 7/9 between them for 38 points.

Adelaide was playing for pride in the second half but couldn’t restore any with the Breakers narrowly winning the third quarter 22 to 21, and then the fourth 24 to 11 to deliver the standout performance.

The Breakers are next in action against the Brisbane Bullets at the NBL Cup on Wednesday while Adelaide face the Illawarra Hawks on Thursday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 7
NBL CUP WEEK 2

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 106 (T Webster 29, C Webster 29, Delany 9)

ADELAIDE 36ERS 62 (McVeigh 20, Johnson 17, Crocker 6, Teys 6) 

POINTS AWARDED – New Zealand Breakers 7, Adelaide 36ers 0

BOX SCORE