New Zealand Breakers Crush Brisbane Bullets as Casey Prather Suffers Knee Injury

The New Zealand Breakers delivered one of their best performances of the season, overpowering the Brisbane Bullets 113–84 on Wednesday night at the Gold Coast Sport and Leisure Centre, but the game may be remembered most for Casey Prather’s knee injury.

Prather was Brisbane’s lone bright spot, finishing with 26 points, eight rebounds and four assists before landing awkwardly on a drive early in the fourth. He immediately grabbed at his knee and left the court in clear distress, casting a shadow over an already brutal night for the Bullets.

The Breakers, who had scored just 79 and 72 points in last week’s losses to Sydney and Adelaide, exploded for 68 first-half points. Their 41-point second quarter broke the game open as they built a 32-point halftime lead and never looked back.

New Zealand’s defensive pressure fuelled their offence, shooting a remarkable 15-of-18 from the field and 6-of-7 from deep in that second term alone. Brisbane, who had pulled off a 24-point comeback win against the Breakers in their previous meeting, never threatened this time.

Sam Mennenga dominated the Tall Blacks frontcourt battle with 25 points and six rebounds on 10-of-16 shooting. Parker Jackson-Cartwright orchestrated the offence with 15 points and seven assists, while Izaiah Brockington added 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

Karim Lopez continued his strong season with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Rob Baker II posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards. The Breakers shot 58 per cent from the field and hit 12 threes on the night.

Brisbane struggled mightily from long range, finishing 6-of-34 from deep. Beyond Prather’s output, Dakota Mathias had 12 points, Tyrell Harrison added 11 points and seven rebounds, and Alex Ducas contributed 11 points, five assists and three steals.

The Bullets did rally after Prather’s injury, winning the final quarter to claim a single Ignite Cup point, but the damage was long done as the Breakers secured six of the seven points on offer.

Both teams now travel for Saturday clashes. Brisbane faces a tough assignment against league leaders Melbourne United, while New Zealand heads back home to meet the Perth Wildcats.

Final score: Brisbane Bullets 84 defeated by New Zealand Breakers 113.