THE 14th round of the National Basketball League (NBL)’s 2021/22 season concluded on Monday night, after what was a high-quality schedule of games. Fans at MyState Bank Arena down in Tassie were treated to a clash between the New Zealand Breakers and the Brisbane Bullets to close out proceedings for the weekend.

While the Bullets were expected to take the chocolates in this matchup, the Breakers were a sneaky chance given the glimpses of impressive form they have shown throughout the season. They were unable to bring this level of play when it mattered, with the Bullets storming away in the second and third periods to generate an unassailable lead. While the Breakers fought back with a high-scoring final term, Brisbane’s advantage was too strong and they cruised home to an 18-point victory on the road.

One of the major contributors in the triumph was guard and captain Jason Cadee, who delivered a masterclass with 22 points and nine assists in a true skipper’s performance. He was a deadly five from six from behind the three-point line and exploded when his side made the match-winning run.

FIRST QUARTER

Cadee did not exactly start the game in ideal fashion, with his first possession of the contest resulting in a turnover. He bounced back a couple of minutes later with a clever pass to star forward Robert Franks, who nailed the jump-shot through the contact for an and-one play. Cadee continued his team’s hot start to the contest, draining a deep shot from behind the arc when the defence fell for his pass fake. After a short stint on the bench, the guard returned to the game to get involved on the defensive end of the court with a nice intercept. He added two more dimes to his name by the time the first quarter concluded as the Bullets took a one-point lead into the first break.

SECOND QUARTER

Brisbane’s skipper started the second term much better than the first, sinking the lay-up from his side’s first possession of the term. He repeated this feat a couple minutes later, taking his points total to seven. He pulled down a couple of boards, before spending a fair bit of time on the pine. Brisbane’s offence owned the final few minutes of the term as they took an eight-point lead into the second half.

THIRD QUARTER

Cadee could not have kicked off the second half any better, showing no hesitation as he drained a pull-up shot from downtown. Remarkably, he backed this up a minute later, stripping the Breakers of possession and pulled up from behind the arc again, with the shot finding the bottom of the net. His blistering form continued, with another steal and lay-up, this time pushing through the contact and converting the and-one play. By this point, the Bullets were looking to get the ball in Cadee’s hands, as he drilled yet another triple, with Brisbane’s lead ballooning out to 22 points. He headed to the bench for a well-earned rest after what was a dominant quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

The defence certainly tightened up on Cadee to start the last term, which makes sense given the havoc he caused in the third. He got involved with some clever passes, with Franks and Isaiah Moss getting on the end of his hard work. The clever guard managed to fight his way past defenders, drilling his fifth shot from behind the arc, and this one was from seriously deep range, which showcased how hot he was from the field at this stage. This highlight topped off a terrific outing from the veteran guard, who led his side to their sixth win of the season.