Adelaide 36ers hold off New Zealand Breakers in Tense NBL Round 8 Finish

The Adelaide 36ers held off a spirited New Zealand Breakers comeback to secure an 83–79 win in Christchurch on Thursday night, moving to 7–2 in the NBL26 season.

The Breakers carried a two-point lead into the final quarter but went cold when it mattered most, missing 14 straight field goals and managing only two free throws across the first eight minutes.

Adelaide star Bryce Cotton came alive late, sinking a step-back triple to push the lead to nine and calm the Sixers after a tense closing stretch.

New Zealand’s full-court press helped trim the gap to two with 90 seconds left, but Zylan Cheatham’s clutch free throws in the dying seconds sealed the result.

Cotton led the Sixers with 23 points, six assists, and four made threes. Cheatham added 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals while limiting Sam Mennenga to just seven points on 2-of-12 shooting.

Flynn Cameron contributed 13 points and eight boards, and Isaac White added 12 points with a team-best +16 efficiency off the bench.

For the Breakers, Izaiah Brockington was outstanding with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Parker Jackson-Cartwright posted 21 points and 10 assists, while Karim Lopez chipped in 11 points and six rebounds.

New Zealand struggled early, losing the rebounding battle 17–7 in the first quarter and hitting only two of their first 10 attempts from deep. A 33-point second term brought them back into the contest, but missed lay-ups and poor rebounding down the stretch proved costly.

Cotton’s late three-pointer pushed the game out of reach, with the Breakers’ final rally falling short.

The 36ers now return home to face the Perth Wildcats, while the Breakers hit the road for four straight games, starting with the Sydney Kings on Sunday.

Final score: New Zealand Breakers 79 defeated by Adelaide 36ers 83.