A breakout performance from Finn Delany led the New Zealand Breakers to a 114-94 NBL victory over the flagging Adelaide 36ers in Auckland.
Finn Delany Photo: Photosport
It was the Breakers' first home win of the season.
Unheralded Kiwi forward Delany came off the bench to score a career high 27 points, helping his team overcome a 14-point deficit midway through the opening quarter.
Usually a role player in the Breaker's rotation, Delany was irresistible when he drove to the basket, bringing the crowd to life at Spark Arena.
The Breakers had suffered heavy losses to Brisbane and Sydney in their two previous home games in Auckland.
Centre Shawn Long came alive in the second half to finish with 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
Another American, Armani Moore, silenced critics who have questioned his quality with 17 points.
Adelaide had played just two days earlier, beating the Taipans in Cairns, before 12 hours of travel had them arriving in Auckland at 1am on Sunday, 13 hours before tip-off.
The scoreboard told their story. Their fast-paced offence functioned exceptionally in the first quarter as they poured in 37 points.
They managed just eight in the final stanza as the Breakers' high-speed approach ultimately paid dividends.
American Jacob Wiley scored 23 points while bench big man Harry Froling delivered a career-high return with 20 points and nine rebounds.
Boomers guard Nathan Sobey, coming off a triple-double against Cairns, was under tight watch from Shea Ili and managed just 10 points.
Sobey said the travel wasn't an excuse, believing his team had simply failed to shut down a player who was in the zone.
"They made some tough shots. Finn was all over the place and we couldn't contain him," he said.
"We didn't really knuckle down on that and it hurt us in the end."
Moore's best game was one he felt was coming after three modest returns in his rookie NBL season.
"I never listen to media or anything like that. I know how hard I've been working," he said.
"Being an import or not, it's the beginning of the season and everybody's trying to figure a lot of things out."
Adelaide's record slips to 3-3 while the Breakers at 2-2 climb off the bottom of the ladder.
-AAP
