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Full-time: Brisbane Bullets 83 (Cam Gliddon 29, Cam Bairstow 14, Alonzo Gee 13, Stephen Holt 12) NZ Breakers 73 (Corey Webster 23, Tai Wesley 12, Shawn Long 10)
Well, that was disappointing. The high-tempo approach promised simpley didn't eventuate - 73 points just won't get the job done.
Now, the Breakers must quickly regroup and travel to Melbourne for their second outing against the defending champions on their home turf. It's already looking like a must-win.
Thanks for joining us.
Fourth Quarter
10th minute: Breakers 73 Bullets 83
Gliddon has his shot swatted by Moore, but a foule is called. Gliddon is faultless from the line.
Wesley strokes a three, but that's not going to be enough.
We're playing the free throw game now - Gliddon makes two more and Richard makes layup.
Gliddon makes two more freebies. Webster makes a pair.
Gliddon's 29 points is a career high apparently.
Ninth minute: Breakers 66 Bullets 76
Webster drives the lane, but just lowers his shoulder into the defender and is called for the offensive foul. That's three bad possessions in a row for the Breakers.
They apply some full-court pressure and force a turnover. Webster throws up an air ball, but from the rebound, Wesley drives to the bucket and is fouled by Vukona - his fifth and last.
Abercrombie drives baseline and softly dunks it home, his first field goal.
Eighth minute: Breakers 64 Bullets 76
Breakers run out of time on the shot clock and Moore chucks up a prayer that isn't answered.
Seventh minute: Breakers 64 Bullets 76
Breakers get several looks at the offensive end, but can't get the ball to drop. Gliddon can - he has another three.
Sixth minute: Breakers 64 Bullets 73
Gliddon drives to the basket and is met by Long, who is whistled for the foul. Gliddon makes two from two freebies.
Richard hits a corner three to cut the lead to single figures.
Fifth minute: Breakers 61 Bullets 71
Long dunks and Brisbane take a timeout.
Wesley chucks a hopeful shot over Te Rangi and Long is there to dunk the rebound home. Te Rangi connects at the other end.
Fourth minute: Breakers 57 Bullets 69
Cadee finds Vukona cutting to the basket. The Breakers have 56 points in the fourth quarter - not exactly the high-octane offence the new owners were looking for.
Wesley is fouled and makes one of two from the line. That's 6/14 for the Breakers and you get the feeling Brisbane don't mind sending their opponents to the free-throw line.
Third minute: Breakers 56 Bullets 67
Webster's mid-range jumper is in and out again. Next time down, Long finds Abercrombie, who is fouled under the basket.
He misses his first - he's still scoreless - but makes his second.
Wesley steals the ball on defence and feeds Abercrombie loping down court, but his pass to Ili is kicked out of bounds by Vukona.
Second minute: Breakers 55 Bullets 67
Holt hits a three - 15 straight points - and Webster draws a blank. Gee extends that run to 18 points and the Breakers need a timeout.
First minute: Breakers 55 Bullets 61
Long misses the first shot of the final quarter and is called for a foul on the rebound.
Gee drives to the basket and Abercrombie rises to block him, but is called for the foul. Gee makes both freebies. That's 12 straight points for Brisbane.
Third Quarter
10th minute: Breakers 55 Bullets 59
Holt hits from the arc and Braswell calls a timeout to rally the Breakers. No-one can score before the end of the quarter.
The Breakers have 12 turnovers, which are killing them right now.
Ninth minute: Breakers 55 Bullets 56
Vukon hits a reverse layup to take the lead for Brisbane. That's seven straight point for the Bullets.
Eighth minute: Breakers 55 Bullets 52
Gee, who has played genuine minutes in the NBA, strokes another two - he's starting to heat up.
Seventh minute: Breakers 53 Bullets 49
Richard connects on a nice turnaround jumper, Green hits a long two - he has an interesting split-legs style.
Sixth minute: Breakers 51 Bullets 47
Long hits a nice baseline jumper, but Gliddon goes to the basket for two.
Wesley hits an awkward runner.
Fifth minute: Breakers 47 Bullets 45
Wesley hits a runner over the defence. Vukona enters the game for a winded Bairstow and immediately chalks up a foul.
Fourth minute: Breakers 45 Bullets 45
Gliddon hits a step-back three and scores are tied.
Third minute: Breakers 45 Bullets 42
Webster hits from mid range.
Second minute: Breakers 43 Bullets 42
Gliddon misses his first three of the half, but Webster hits his. Bairstow makes an easy layup.
First minute: Breakers 40 Bullets 38
Brisbane have the ball to start the second half and Gee hits a corner three for his first points.
At the other end, Long returns with his first basket of the quarter.
Half-time: Breakers 38 (Webster 13) Bullets 35 (Gliddon 13)
Brisbane have 11 offensive rebounds to the Breakers' one, but the home team are shooting 60 percent from the field. They've actually attempted 14 less field goals than their rivals, who are only connecting on 33 percent.
Abercrombie is scoreless and Long did not take the court in the second quarter, after drawing two fouls in the opening period.
Second Quarter
10th minute: Breakers 38 Bullets 35
Bullets rotate the ball and find Holt free in the corner - he drains the three and Brisbane have the lead.
Wesley backs up Te Rangi to grab the lead back. Next time up, Ili drives the lane and finds Wesley cutting to the basket for an easy layup.
Breakers lead by three at half-time.
Ninth minute: Breakers 34 Bullets 32
Holt drives to the basket, Majok rises high, but is called for the foul. Holt hits a free throw, but misses the second.
Cadee fouls Webster, who makes his first free throw and his second.
Eighth minute: Breakers 32 Bullets 31
Ili misses his first free throw - Breakers are 1/6 - but makes the second.
Moore is smashed in a screen by Vukona - how many times have we seen that over the years - and Bairstow gets free for a layup.
Seventh minute: Breakers 31 Bullets 29
Webster hits from mid range to restore the lead. Gibson fires up a three and is then called for a foul, as he charges in for the rebound.
Sixth minute: Breakers 29 Bullets 29
Webster has a block on Holt, but loses the ball down the other end for a turnover.
Bairstow drops a little jump hook over Wesley and the scores are tied.
Fifth minute: Breakers 29 Bullets 27
Vukona completely bamboozles Delany with a post move. Next time down the court, Delany fouls him - which is probably smart, because Vukon isn't great from the line.
He makes one - Breakers lead is two.
Fourth minute: Breakers 29 Bullets 24
Wesley tries a little scoop shot in the lane and is fouled. He misses his first and both, but Majok grabs the rebound and puts it back.
Breakers have now missed four of five free throws and can't find an answer to Gliddon, who hits another three - his third - for 13 points. Braswell calls a timeout to tell his guys to get a hand in Gliddon's face.
Third minute: Breakers 27 Bullets 21
Gliddon hits a three to cut the margin to one point, but Webster responds to restore the margin.
Second minute: Breakers 24 Bullets 18
Te Rangi bangs with Richard in the post and makes a turnaround jumper. He's fouled but misses the freebie.
Delany spins through three defenders and is fouled by Bairstow at the ring. He misses one - he misses both free throws.
Next time down the court, Richard finds Delany cutting to the basket for a layup.
First minute: Breakers 22 Bullets 14
Both teams have reshuffled to start the second quarter. Webster is back on for the Breakers and is fouled going to the basket.
He makes the second free throw.
First Quarter
10th minute: Breakers 21 Bullets 14
Delany is in the game. Long has his second foul and sends Gibson to the line - he makes both to break the drought for Brisbane.
Majok replaces Long and logs a few seconds before the period ends. Holt misses a three as time expires.
Webster leads the Breakers with five points and Gliddon has seven for Brisbane. Breakers have shot 64% from the field and 3/7 from the three.
Ninth minute: Breakers 21 Bullets 12
Moore hits a three from the corner - his first as a Breaker. Richard has two and the Breakers have a little run going.
Eighth minute: Breakers 16 Bullets 12
Weeks also scores on a breakaway layup and Brisbane call a timeout. Kirk Penney is sitting courtside, Ruben Te Rangi enters the game.
Seventh minute: Breakers 14 Bullets 12
Armani Moore and Jarrad Weeks enter for the Breakers, and Moore immediately scores, breaking a seven-point Brisbane run.
Sixth minute: Breakers 12 Bullets 10
Vukona comes into the game and immediately gets a basket - there's no applause from the Breakers fans. Richard is also in the game for the Breakers.
Fourth minute: Breakers 12 Bullets 5
Breakers have eight straight points, with Webster hitting a step-back, then Wesley and Webster hitting from the arc.
Third minute: Breakers 4 Bullets 3
Bairstow hits a three, but Ili finds Long under the basket for a dunk. Brisbane have opened with Cadee, Gliddon, Bairstow, Egwu and Gree.
Second minute: Breakers 2 Bullets 0
Ili is first to score with a runner in the lane. Abercrombie rises high to swat away Bairstow. Gee gets the offensive board, but Abo takes a charge.
First minute: Breakers 0 Bullets 0
Bullets secure the tip and Cadee misses the game's opening short. At the other end, Wesley is calle for three seconds.
*****
Lights have gone down at Spark Arena, as the Breakers players are welcomed out on court for the new season.
Just harking back to the pre-season, the highlight was the Breakers' game against NBA side Phoenix Suns, which resuled in a narrow loss - the closest an ANBL club came to knocking off the NBA this year.
The Suns are a rebuilding team, so it would be wrong to read too much into that result, but one player to put his best foot foward was Corey Webster, who led all scorers with 27 points.
When the lights come up, the stadium is sparsely populated, about 5000 fans, according the commentators.
Ili, Webster, Abercrombie, Wesley and Long are the Breakers starters.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to our live updates of the NZ Breakers' ANBL season-opener against the Brisbane Bullets from Auckland's Spark Arena.
This clash will see the return of a few familiar faces to the scene of so many past Breakers triumphs, with former coach Andrej Lemanis at the helm of the Bullets and Breakers legend Mika Vukona making his official debut for his new club.
It's also the debut for new Breakers ownership, who have pretty much stripped last year's roster in a bid to make their team more entertaining - and hopefully a successful in terms of wins. Remember, last year's line-up, under Tall Blacks coach Paul Henare, were eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual champions Melbourne United.
- Shawn Marion on Breakers ownership, the NBA and Steven Adams
- Tom Abercombie named new Breakers captain
- Corey Webster on fire to spark Breakers against Phoenix Suns
Gone are all three imports, big men Alex Pledger and Rob Loe, Vukona and retired shooter Kirk Penney, as well as Henare.
In come shooter Corey Webster and forward Tai Wesley (again), three new imports, Aussies Majok Majok (that's not a very Australian name) and guard Jarrad Weeks, and coach Kevin Braswell.
The survivors are new skipper Tom Abercrombie, guard Shea Ili, and forwards Finn Delany and Jordan Ngatai.
The ownership group, featuring former NBA players Shawn Marion and Matt Walsh, have also tried to bring an NBA experience to spectators this season, so it will be fascinating to see whether they will capture the imagination of their market.
The Breakers' traditional home of North Shore Events Centre has gone, with Auckland games booked for the Spark Arena. That's a lot of empty seats to fill if they have misjudged their fanbase.
Breakers: 3-Finn Delany, 4-Armani Moore, 5-Shea Ili, 9-Corey Webster, 10-Tom Abercrombie, 20-Jordan Ngatai, 21-Shawn Long, 22-Majok Majok, 35-Patrick Richard, 42-Tai Wesley, 97-Jarrad Weeks
Bullets: 1-Adam Gibson, 2-Alonzo Gee, 3-Cameron Gliddon, 5-Jason Cadee, 6- Matt Hodgson, 8-Cameron Bairstow, 9-Callum Dalton, 11-Stephen Holt, 12-Will Magnay, 14-Mika Vukona, 15-Makoto Hiejima, 24-Tyrell Harrison, 25-Reuben Te Rangi
Newshub.
