GOAT Backs Breakers' Resurgence

Seven-time NBL MVP winner and former Sydney Kings coach Andrew Gaze has called on the New Zealand to resist making wholesale changes to its offence for Game 3, as the Breakers look to bounce back from their disappointing performance in Game 2 last Sunday.

The Sydney Kings made alterations to their defence that allowed Will McDowell-White and Barry Brown Jr to dominate in Game 1, and the pair struggled to replicate those performances in the Championship Series’ second meeting.

Gaze believes the added time to prepare between games two and three will have allowed the Breakers to make the small but necessary changes to win this matchup.

“I think with the time they’ve had to prepare for this one, [the Breakers can make] some of the adjustments to some of the pressure releases on the offensive end,” Gaze said on SEN.

“It’s just fine-tuning. Little tweaks in what you do with the defence.

“You don’t need a radical change from what they’ve been doing, because they’ve already demonstrated throughout the course of the season they have what it takes to beat the Kings.

“I hope New Zealand is up and about when it comes to the Breakers, because what they’ve been able to do this season off the back of a horrific couple of years has been nothing short of spectacular.

“You do have – and this will sound like I’m almost committing treason – a tremendous amount of support here in Australia as well.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Can someone channel their inner Ebi Ere in tonight&#39;s Game 3 clash? ?<br><br>The Kings cult hero took over in the fourth quarter of Sydney&#39;s Game 5 clash with the West Sydney Razorbacks in 2004 to lift the title ?<br><br>Who remembers watching him drop 25 in that incredible game? ? <a href="https://t.co/ddZktK0dK4">pic.twitter.com/ddZktK0dK4</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1633994617728409600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Without Xavier Cooks and Derrick Walton Jr in Game 2, the Kings overcame the Breakers by virtue of committee.

Bench players Kouat Noi, Jaylin Galloway and Agnus Glover stepped up to support Justin Simon in what ended as a historic win for the Sydneysiders.

Gaze says he’s looking at New Zealand's quartet of stars to lift their games and match Sydney’s intensity.

“When the Breakers this year have been able to contain the Kings across five games – they’ve been able to hold the Sydney Kings into the mid-80’s, and the Sydney Kings are a team who, this season, have averaged into the mid-90s.

“Defensively they’ve ticked a lot of boxes.

“It’s how they’re going to find a way to free up Barry Brown Jr, get it into Dererk Pardon more on the block, get Will McDowell-White going again, and Brantley has been a star all season” Gaze said. Those guys were a little bit below expectations in Game 2 and it’s just the small refinements you make to your offensive structure to get them going.”

Game 3 of the NBL23 Championship Series tips off tonight – Friday, March 10 – at Qudos Bank Arena at 7:30pm AEDT.

Catch the game live and free on ESPN via Kayo Sports, and SkySport and Prime in New Zealand.