BNZ Breakers Beaten By Tasmania Jackjumpers On Christmas Night

The BNZ Breakers have been beaten 97-82 by the JackJumpers in a fiercely contested game in Tasmania on Christmas night.

The Breakers started strong, taking an early seven point lead before the JackJumpers gradually found their rhythm, with standout performances from Jordon Crawford (26 points) and Majok Deng (20 points, seven rebounds).

Breakers co-captain Parker Jackson-Cartwright was a bright spark for his side, notching 23 points on 58% shooting, along with six assists and two steals.

He received solid support from Tacko Fall (11 points, nine rebounds, three blocks), Sam Mennenga (11 points, seven rebounds) and Mojave King (12 points).

Despite the promising inside game, the Breakers continued their struggles from beyond the arc, connecting on just four of their 23 three-point attempts (17%).

Head coach Petteri Koponen said his side competed for most of the game but let it slip away.

“Same story as our last game against Sydney - the guys were showing good effort for 30-35 minutes and then we lost our poise again. It’s something we’ve talked a lot about throughout the season and it’s been a problem we keep having,” he said.

“During this losing stretch we’ve been shooting the ball really badly - four of 23 from three tonight is not good enough.

“There are no magic tricks, but we keep fighting as a team. No one wants to quit and it’s just those crucial moments we need to play better. The guys are much better than we’re showing right now.”

The BNZ Breakers now prepare for their next match-up on the road against Cairns Taipans at 9.30pm (NZT) on New Year’s Eve.

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