SATURDAY evening in the National Basketball League (NBL) saw the New Zealand Breakers claim an impressive win over the Perth Wildcats on the back of a tremendous scoring performance from Matt Mooney.

The Breakers hosted the Wildcats at Spark Arena, looking to bounce back after a loss at the hands of the Brisbane Bullets on Thursday night, and following some heavy defeats to NBA teams for the preseason of that competition, New Zealand had fallen out of form after a 2-0 start to the season.

However, the Wildcats lost Bryce Cotton to broken ribs early in the match, giving the Breakers the perfect opportunity with Perth without its best and most important player. Although the visitors put up a brave fight, the Breakers did enough to hold on for a four-point victory to get their campaign back on track.

Mooney was the driving force on the offensive end, producing his best performance since joining the NBL over the off-season.

New Zealand Breakers (89) def. Perth Wildcats (85)

Matt Mooney – 28 points, four rebounds, five assists, two steals

Mooney was the conductor of an impressive win from the Breakers, delivering his most productive showing in a New Zealand uniform and truly showing what he is capable of if he can get his eye in when shooting the ball.

He was clinical against the Wildcats, particularly early on, helping the Breakers jump out to a hefty lead with some early makes from behind the arc. Mooney maintained a solid level of production across all four quarters, and was involved more than any other Breaker.

His 28 points were the most of anyone on the floor, and was a figure built largely on Mooney’s ability to knock down the three ball. Whether it was off the dribble or immediately after catching the ball, his three-point attempts rarely looked like missing, and demonstrated his standing as one of the most deadly performers from behind the arc.

From the field, he shot 8/14 and had most of his success from long range, knocking down seven triples on 10 attempts in one of the best shooting performances of the season from any player. The Breakers have tried to utilise his shooting in the past few weeks, and it was a move that paid off against the Wildcats in a big way.

Mooney has proven himself as a damaging scorer in the past, particularly throughout his time in the collegiate system. If he can build on Saturday’s performance and work in tandem with Parker Jackson-Cartwright to take some of the offensive load off the latter’s shoulders, it will be a massive boost for a Breakers side looking to go deep into the finals this season.