The New Zealand Breakers took the Championship Series by the horns by snatching Game 1 on the road. Can they double-down and make it 2-0 on Sunday? Jake Smit previews the game and brings you his best bet right here.
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NBL Championship Series Game 2 Preview & Betting Tips
New Zealand Breakers vs Sydney Kings
Sunday March 5, 4pm AEDT, Spark Arena
The New Zealand Breakers get their turn to play hosts in the Championship Series on Sunday afternoon in Game 2 against the Sydney Kings.
The flight back across the border would’ve been a pleasant one for the Breakers after they were able to upset the Kings 95-87 in Sydney on Friday night.
A hot start saw them head into the first break up by seven points, and they were able to extend the lead to 11 at the main break. The Kings showed some fight back at times during the third and fourth quarter, but in the end it was the Breakers who secured a highly-deserved win.
Breakers floor general, Will McDowell-White was the star of the show and almost made history when coming oh so close to recording the first ever triple-double in a Championship Series game. The Boomers guard was in complete control of the contest from start to finish and ended up with 19 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists.
Key cogs Jarrell Brantley and Barry Brown Jr. were also important for the winning side when combining for 35 points, while Next Star Rayan Rupert was impressive at times, particularly with his ability to defend on the ball.
For the Kings, Justin Simon was the standout player with 18 points and six rebounds on 72.7% shooting from the floor, and Jordan Hunter made the most of his rare minutes with 15 points and four rebounds.
Worryingly, the Kings two best players in Derrick Walton Jr. and Xavier Cooks were held to just 20 points between them, and both were also battling leg injuries that had them finish the night on the bench.
Frustratingly, the lack of reporting on NBL players’ injuries makes it tough to know whether either or both All-NBL First Team players will be suiting up on Sunday. Even if both Cooks and Walton Jr. play, it’s hard to imagine they’ll be anywhere near 100%.
So, where does all this leave us in terms of a prediction for Sunday’s game?
The Breakers are undoubtedly in the driver’s seat. Their pick-and-roll action with McDowell-White was causing the Kings all sorts of problems on Friday night, and I’m not sure Kings coach Chase Buford can make any real adjustments considering he already had his best perimeter defender in Justin Simon guarding the action.
On top of that, they have home court advantage in Game 2 and you can be certain the Breakers faithful will be raring to go after being starved of post-season basketball in recent seasons.
So, with everything considered, I’m keen to back in the Breakers to get the job done once again and cover the small spread at home.
New Zealand Breakers -2.5
$1.85 (2 Units)
