Maor backs Breakers stars

Monday, November 6, 2023

Breakers head coach Mody Maor has backed the shot selection of his star imports in the final stages of their loss.

New Zealand head coach Mody Maor says his side is “ready to live and die with Parker (Jackson-Cartwright)”, following the star guard’s final second miss against the Sydney Kings on Sunday.

The Breakers trailed by two-points heading into the final seconds of the game, where Jackson-Cartwright was restricted to a tough shot by Sydney’s Shaun Bruce on an isolation play.

New Zealand had fought back from 11 points down at half-time and won both the third and fourth quarter, but a Bruce three with under a minute left proved to be the difference-maker.

“As far as the last shot goes, if you’re going to be the guy who takes those shots you need to be the guy that’s ready to miss them. All of us in that locker room are ready to live and die with Parker. He’s as good of a teammate and as good of a teammate as it gets,” Maor said post-game.

“I’d sign a contract with the basketball gods that every game we need to win for the rest of my career, put the ball in his hands. I’d be a very rich man winning a lot of basketball games, I’m very happy.

“We see the progress, we know what we’re doing better, and to come on a back-to-back into this arena and play like this in the second half – fantastic, great strides. I’m super positive.”

“In that moment you at least want to get a shot up – a clean shot – but that was the way it went and you learn from it,” Jackson-Cartwright added.

Including Jackson-Cartwright’s final second shot, the Breakers missed a total of four field goal attempts and two free throws following Bruce’s make.

Every shot bar Jackson-Cartwright’s was taken by Anthony Lamb. But Maor believes they were all good shots to take.

“Lamb at the rim, Parker at the rim, these are good shots,” he said.

“We’re playing against a team that switches everything and the result of this is you put the ball in your best players’ hands and they create. They create for themselves and they create for each other and they did this the whole game.

“All you can ask is to get good shots.”

New Zealand’s next game in the NBL24 season is scheduled for Friday, November 10 at 9:30pm AEDT against the Perth Wildcats.