Leaders Perth down NBL champions Breakers

Import James Ennis was again the star, bagging 29 points as NBL leaders Perth beat defending champions New Zealand Breakers 96-89.

Competition leaders Perth maintained their unbeaten start to the NBL season with import James Ennis again leading the way in a 96-89 defeat of defending champions New Zealand Breakers in Auckland.

The athletic Ennis collected 29 points - to lift his league-high average to 25.5 - six rebounds and two steals as the Wildcats made it four from four.

For the Breakers, the defeat marked the first time they have dropped three matches in a row since 2010 and it left them with at 1-3 for the season.

It was also the first time the three-time defending champions have been beaten at home since Perth did the deed 12 months ago.

Jermaine Beal contributed 19 points for the Wildcats, while Jesse Wagstaff, who connected with four of his seven attempts from distance, finished with 17.

For the Breakers, import Kerron Johnson had 17 points and five assists, while Alex Pledger got 16 points and nine rebounds.

But the home side also shot at just 66 per cent from the free-throw line, missing 10 of their attempts.

It had started well for the Breakers as they jumped out to a 26-17 lead after the first quarter.

They hit the boards running, with Daryl Corletto getting a three-pointer first up and then adding a two.

They also kept a tight leash on Ennis, although it came at a cost with the officials calling them for three fouls on the American inside the first two minutes.

But the second quarter was a different story as Perth shifted up a gear.

They controlled the tempo well and also took advantage of turnovers to claw back the deficit and hit halftime 47-45 ahead.

The third quarter was a see-sawing contest until the Wildcats kicked ahead with a nine-point run to be up by five with one period to go.

The Breakers did their best to try to close the gap, but missed free throws proved costly as Perth's defence stayed solid.


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Source: AAP


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Leaders Perth down NBL champions Breakers | SBS News