Basketball: NZ Breakers to play NBA's Phoenix Suns in pre-season

The Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix.
The Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix. Photo credit: Getty

The NZ Breakers have confirmed a blockbuster pre-season game against the NBA's Phoenix Suns.

The match will take place on the Suns' homecourt in Arizona in October.

Phoenix had the first overall pick at the 2018 NBA draft last week, securing stand-out centre Deandre Ayton.

Ayton has been compared to San Antonio Spurs legend David Robinson and current NBA star Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Breakers general manager Dillon Boucher said the players were fizzing, after hearing news of their impending trip.

"I wish I was still a player," Boucher told Newshub. "I wish this could have happened five years ago, so I could have had an opportunity.

"It's a dream come true for our guys to come up against some of the world's best on the big stage."

Boucher expected the Suns to field a close-to-full-strength line-up.

"I would imagine that a majority of their full roster will be playing. They don't have a lot of pre-season games, so I would think they will put a strong team out there."

Breakers head coach Kevin Braswell was ecstatic about the opportunity to go up against players of this calibre.

"It's going to be huge for our guys' development, because we'll be taking on the best of the best," Braswell said.

"It's exactly what we need in terms of growth. The style that they [Phoenix Suns] will play against us is the style that we'll play straight back at them… and they play fast," Braswell explained.

The match is part of the NBL Blitz pre-season competition, with other ANBL clubs set to take on quality NBA competition.

"It's going to be great for our team in terms of unity and building chemistry with each other," Braswell said.

"We'll be going straight from the NBL Blitz to Phoenix, Arizona, which will be good practice and prep leading into our season.”

The Phoenix Suns are a well-established NBA franchise and have produced some outstanding basketball players over the years. 

Breakers chief executive Matt Walsh is "over-the-moon" about the team's participation.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for the team and the league. The ties between the NBA and NBL are strengthening, evident by the increase in teams playing in the [NBA] preseason this year.

"The fact that we are one of the few teams selected is testament to the skills of our players."

Last year, three NBL teams took part in the pre-season match-up - the Sydney Kings, Melbourne United and Brisbane Bullets.

2018 ANBL/NBA Games:

Melbourne United vs Philadelphia 76ers

Perth Wildcats vs Utah Jazz

Sydney Kings vs LA Clippers

NZ Breakers vs Phoenix Suns

Perth Wildcats vs Denver Nuggets

Melbourne United vs Toronto Raptors

Adelaide 36ers vs Utah Jazz

Newshub.

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