THE OPENING match of Round 5 of the 2024/25 National Basketball League (NBL) season saw the Brisbane Bullets record a second consecutive win, this time defeating the New Zealand Breakers at Nissan Arena on Thursday night.

The game marked New Zealand’s return to the competition after playing in the United States as a part of the NBA preseason. On the other hand, the Bullets were fresh off their first victory of the fixture, and were looking to build on that result.

The rough travel schedule of the Breakers came back to bite them, with the Bullets outlasting the visitors to claim an 11-point victory to keep their resurgence going.

Brisbane Bullets (84) def. New Zealand Breakers (73)

It was a scrappy start to the game for both teams, still finding their feet after interrupted starts to their respective finals campaigns. However, the Bullets scored the final four points of the first quarter, to lead by that margin at the first change in a promising start for the home side, having impressed defensively in the first 10 minutes.

Momentum shifted multiple times throughout the second period, with the Bullets leading by as much as seven points at the midway point of the term. However, it did not take the Breakers too long to erase that deficit and tie up proceedings as half time approached. That did not last as the home team went on a blistering 10-4 run to close out the period and enter the main break with a six-point buffer.

Brisbane kept pushing forward after half-time, restricting the Breakers with some suffocating defence and pushing its lead out to double-digits at one stage. The Breakers trailed by eight points at the final change, and would need to lift in the final period if they were any sort of chance.

New Zealand did deliver some fight to start the fourth term, finding its mark from behind the arc and even hitting the front in remarkable fashion. However, the Bullets responded with an 8-0 run, en route to their second win of the season.

For Brisbane, James Batemon was the star of the show, having a huge impact off the bench and showing he can be a match-winner. He posted 21 points and five rebounds in 27 minutes of court time on 8/14 shooting from the field. Also impressing was Josh Bannan, who nearly had a triple-double with 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists.

The Breakers would not have been in with a sniff if not for the performance of star point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who led his team in points (20), rebounds (seven) and assists (six), showcasing his importance to the team.