TRAILING by as much as 24 points on the road, the Brisbane Bullets were able to pull off the miracle comeback to defeat the New Zealand Breakers at Eventfinda Stadium on Thursday night in some thrilling National Basketball League (NBL) action.

It was a result secured on the back of a masterful double defensive effort from big man Tyrell Harrison, who saved the game after the Bullets had erased a massive deficit in enemy territory and taken the lead late.

The win ensures the Bullets maintain in touch with the top five in the standings, while the equation gets tougher for the Breakers, who have won just two of their nine games to start the season despite a promising start against Brisbane.

New Zealand Breakers (83) def. by Brisbane Bullets (84)

The first half belonged to one man in particular, Sam Mennenga, who produced one of the best 20-minute performances of the season in the first two quarters, showing just how dominant of a scorer he can be when he is in form.

The forward was simply everywhere prior to the main break, dropping 25 points in the opening two frames and making it look easy against the Bullets defence. Mennenga was able to bully his way into the paint and finish at the cup with ease, and despite Brisbane putting a lot of work into slowing him down, he had already led the home side to a 52-28 lead in the second frame.

Coming out of the main break, the Bullets looked a different side, and had already cultivated some momentum on the other side of half time after Mennenga was benched late in the second quarter following a scoring blitz.

The Bullets were able to wrestle back control of the game in the third term, slowing down New Zealand’s production and looking much smoother on the offensive end themselves. The deficit was cut down to just four points at the final change, and suddenly, the pressure was back on New Zealand to respond on its home court.

The lead changed hands on multiple occasions in the final frame, with both sides producing clutch plays down the stretch. However, no one delivered better on the offensive end in crunch time than Lamar Patterson, with Brisbane’s replacement import hitting the final two shots of the game to put the Bullets in front in the dying stages.

The Breakers still had a chance to win it, with guards Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Izayah Le’afa each having a shot in the final seconds, but both attempts were swatted away from the rim by Harrison, who ensured the comeback was complete for the gutsy visitors.

Patterson finished with 20 points and six rebounds in a clutch performance, while Casey Prather continued his dominance with 23 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in a huge performance in the backcourt, pairing well with Harrison’s 16 points, 11 rebounds and two swats as the trio excelled.

Mennenga finished with 27 points in a quiet second half, while Jackson-Cartwright overcame a tough shooting night to still finish with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists to try and help his team hold on for victory.