FOLLOWING a thrilling start to the 2025/26 National Basketball League (NBL) season last night, the action continues when the New Zealand Breakers welcome the Brisbane Bullets to Spark Arena for the second game of the fixture tonight.

Last night’s encounter between the Tasmania JackJumpers and Melbourne United was a classic matchup, and tonight’s game could have the same level of excitement given how even the season is expected to be overall.

With new faces on both teams and the Breakers boasting home court advantage, it should be another enthralling battle and will give a true indication of where both of these sides are at after active seasons and among a competitive landscape.

New Zealand Breakers vs. Brisbane Bullets

Spark Arena
Friday, September 19 @5:30pm AEST

One of the biggest storylines of the offseason was the vast improvement of Brisbane’s roster, with the Bullets building what could be the best collection of imports in the entire competition, looking ultra aggressive with their signings.

After a disappointing performance last season, the Bullets held onto one of their best performers in Casey Prather, while also adding former NBL MVP Jaylen Adams as well as Javon Freeman-Liberty, and it is the latter who seemingly has the potential to lead the way on the offensive end and take Brisbane back into the postseason.

Freeman-Liberty has caught the eye over the course of the preseason, dropping 27 points in his first Blitz outing with the team in a performance that truly showcased his offensive arsenal. Expect him to be the number one scoring option and if he can go off for 20+ points tonight, it will play a massive role in getting Brisbane off to the perfect start.

Speaking of important inclusions over the off-season, the Breakers needed a scoring option to pair with star point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who was asked to shoulder an immense amount of the offensive load last year, and they added Izaiah Brockington to alleviate this.

Based off preseason form it seems to be a winning move, with Brockington proving more than just a complimentary piece and showing he could be a 20-point per game scorer himself. Capable of playing both guard positions – crucial for the minutes when Jackson-Cartwright is off the floor – Brockington can score across all three levels and is vital to his team’s success.

Both players were immense inclusions over the offseason and will be eager to get off to a strong start both individually and from a team perspective. It seems a likely proposition that whomever wins the battle between Freeman-Liberty and Brockington could be the decisive factor in determining the result of the match.