The New Zealand team coached by Petteri Koponen has sunk to defeats in the last few games in the NBL league.
Petteri Koponen coached by New Zealand, the New Zealand Breakers, after a great start to the season, have recently fallen into a low league in the Australian NBL basketball league.
On Sunday, Perth Wildcats, the middle class in the series, beat the Finnish-coached Breakers 123–112. Only for the second time this season, more than one hundred points were scored in the basket of Koponen’s guards.
New Zealand Breakers have lost three of their last four games. It has gone from the top spot to third with a balance of seven wins and five losses. The best two of the series advance directly to the semi-finals, and those who have reached places 3–6 advance to the quarter-finals.
Perth’s 32-year-old fullback Bryce Cotton set a modern Australian NBL league point record by sinking no less than 59 points against Koponen’s team.
The league’s four-time MVP made 7/15 sacks, 11/13 doubles and 16/17 free throws. The previous series points record was improved by eight points. Cotton also shared seven assists with one turnover.
– As a coach, it’s confusing on the side of the court, but as a basketball fan, that was one of the most incredible games I’ve seen, commented on Kopone’s record night and the wild Cotton show.
– In the first half we were really bad, but in the second half we showed character that I can be proud of my players, continued the Breakers’ Finnish coach.
Breakers back man Parker Jackson-Cartwright scored 34 points and dished out nine assists, a 206-centimeter basket player Samuel Mennenga collected on 23/8.
No less than 229-centimeter, former NBA center Tacko Fall scored seven points and two rebounds for Koposen’s team in just over five minutes before injuring himself and being sidelined.
The game was the second at the Breakers for Fall, who scored 4/5 in 14 minutes in his opening game.