ALTHOUGH Round 3 of the National Basketball League (NBL) season dominated headlines for much of the weekend, Saturday also saw a clash between the New Zealand Breakers and the Utah Jazz as a part of the NBA preseason.

The Breakers missed the third round of the NBL calendar and instead flew over to the United States for a batch of matchups against some NBA sides as the world’s best competition gears up for another season.

New Zealand may not have got the job done against an impressive Utah side, but the exposure on the world stage was certainly good for the team and the NBL as a whole.

New Zealand Breakers (87) def. by Utah Jazz (116)

The Breakers were competitive for much of their clash against the Jazz, matching Utah’s production early and showing they were up for the fight. New Zealand currently sits atop the standings in the NBL with an unbeaten record of 2-0 and that form was reflective early in the contest.

The visitors led by as much as six points in the first term, and at quarter time, it was all tied up at 29 apiece, and the Breakers had shown that they were willing to take it up to an NBA team looking to return to the postseason.

Although New Zealand was competitive for the first half of the second term thanks to some quick scores in transition, the Breakers missed their final 11 shots of the half and as a result, trailed by 13 at the main change.

The Jazz stormed home in the final quarter to slam the door shut on the match and produce a 29-point victory and start their preseason journey with a big win thanks to a strong finish to the contest.

The Breakers still had plenty of positives to take out of the match, particularly the level of competitiveness in the first half that would have had the Jazz worried, and showed the world how much the NBL is approaching the NBA in terms of quality.

Star point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright was his usual productive self, posting 16 points and nine rebounds and certainly showing what he can do with the bright lights of the NBA on him. Former Phoenix Sun Jonah Bolden had 13 points of his own and showed he is still capable of scoring against NBA defences.

Perhaps the biggest positive for the Breakers was the performance of Next Star Karim Lopez, who caught the eye of scouts with a standout performance. He delivered 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists on 5/8 shooting from the field, and despite being a year off being draft eligible, showed a strong ability to score against high-quality opponents.

New Zealand’s schedule against NBA teams continues on Tuesday when it takes on the Philadelphia 76ers, before wrapping up with Friday’s clash against the Oklahoma City Thunder.