SUNDAY’S action in the National Basketball League (NBL) saw the SEM Phoenix defeat the New Zealand Breakers by six points when the two sides locked horns at Spark Arena, with two Next Stars going head to head.

It was a crucial battle for both teams, but for different reasons, with the Breakers looking to move off the bottom of the table, while the Phoenix were eager to move up into the top four and stay within reach of the unbeaten sides

Although New Zealand looked in control at three quarter time, South East Melbourne ended up storming home to seize the momentum. The visitors outscored the Breakers 25-16 in the last 10 minutes of proceedings to get the job done on the road.

The game also featured two Next Stars going head to head in Karim Lopez and Malique Lewis, and it was the latter who ended up taking home the chocolates, playing a vital role as his team claimed a gutsy win.

New Zealand Breakers (81) def. by South East Melbourne Phoenix (87)

Malique Lewis – 13 points, two rebounds, one assist

Lewis put together one of his best performance of the 2025/26 season to date, helping the Phoenix get the job done in enemy territory and showing his improvement in terms of production on the offensive end.

The young gun started the game quietly, missing his first two shots from the field and committing a turnover, but he improved as the quarter rolled on. Lewis hit the scoreboard with a nice driving layup and was getting into the right spots offensively, and the Phoenix led by six points at the first change in a strong start from a team perspective.

The second quarter was quiet again from the Next Star, who missed a couple of shots and committed his first foul before being subbed out, but it was a disappointing term for South East Melbourne as a whole, with the visitors losing control of the match after being outscored 31-13.

Lewis was able to light up the floor with a pair of three-pointers to help spark the Phoenix to drag themselves back into the fight. He looked much more confident in his own shot when left open, and his spacing helped open up the floor for the rest of his team, as the visitors finished the third frame with a bit of momentum.

He started the fourth quarter with a nice reverse layup, showing excellent touch around the rim and a strong ability to avoid the defensive pressure from the opposition. Lewis then nailed the most important bucket of the game, putting his up by five points with just over a minute to play to give the Phoenix some breathing space with what proved to be a match-winning three-pointer after South East Melbourne held on.

Lewis splashed home three triples en route to 13 points for the match on 5/12 shooting from the field while nailing 50 per cent of his attempts from long range, in what was his best shooting performance of the season.