Casey Prather and Keandre Cook combined for 50 points and 10 threes to keep the Brisbane Bullets alive in the top six race with the hard fought 93-87 win in Christchurch over the New Zealand Breakers.
Prather and Cook put the Bullets on their back to help them overcome an early 10-2 Breakers lead but once Brisbane hit the lead later in the first quarter, they never surrendered it again even though New Zealand got within two late to give them a scare.
To be a chance to finish in the top six both teams likely need to win their remaining games heightening the stakes at Wolfbrook Arena on Friday.
The Bullets arrived having lost four straight with an injury crisis striking and they did regain Deng Adel, Casey Prather and the newly signed Callum Dalton while still without Tyrell Harrison, Rocco Zikarsky and Emmett Naar.
New Zealand started well to be up 12-2, but it should have been more had Tacko Fall made his foul shots.
Brisbane then went on a 16-5 run to grab the lead and hold that for the rest of the half to be leading at the break 46-40 with Prather and Cook going 8/17 from three-point range for 32 points between them.
The Breakers were left to rue 12/20 free-throw shooting but were still in touch but it was the opening stages of the fourth quarter where the Bullets pulled away for a first double-digit lead.
New Zealand lost Parker Jackson-Cartwright (19 points, nine assists) to an apparent rib injury, but they still got back within two thanks to Matt Mooney (24 points, four assists) before the Bullets held on for the important win.
Josh Bannan came up with crucial late plays on his way to 17 points and seven rebounds while Cook ended up with 26 points and six assists, and Prather 24 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Tohi Smith-Milner fought hard down low for 10 points and seven rebounds.
The Breakers are now 9-17 with just three games to go but going just 19/30 at the foul line will be something they are left to contemplate.
Fall only took one more free-throw after quarter-time and made it to finish with 2/7 for his 12 points and five rebounds with New Zealand +9 in his 22:39 of court time.
The Bullets knew they had to win to keep their season alive but it was the Breakers making an imposing start in Christchurch going on a 10-0 run including a triple from Karim Lopez, but the 12-2 lead could have been more had Tacko Fall made his free throws.
He was proving a nightmare to guard for the Bullets but Brisbane eventually made a second field goal of the five minutes in when Casey Prather knocked down a three-pointer.
The Bullets built on that with 10 points in two minutes including seven straight from Keandre Cook before they went on another 8-0 run with triples from Tohi Smith-Milner and Cook.
The Bullets were clinging to the 21-19 lead after one before Prather made another three ball to push that lead out to five to start the second frame.
Thanks to the shooting of Cook and Prather, the Bullets maintained a lead for the rest of the half with it getting out to as much as nine, but the Breakers did pull it back to six by half-time.
Cook and Prather combined for 32 points with eight threes in the half for Brisbane but New Zealand stayed close with the 20 free-throw attempts even if they made just 12.
After Parker Jackson-Cartwright had seven assists in the first half, he was more aggressive looking to score in the third term and helped the Breakers back within three by three quarter-time.
The Bullets then started the final term with the first six points starting with a triple from Mitch Norton and soon after they were able to get their first double-figure lead of the ball game before ending up securing the six-point win to keep their season alive.
Both teams leave Christchurch and have to back up to play on Sunday afternoon with the Bullets first up in their last home game of the season against Melbourne United. The Breakers are on the road to Adelaide 36ers.
HUNGRY JACK’S NBL SEASON 2024/25
NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 87 (Mooney 24, Jackson-Cartwright 19, Fall 12)
BRISBANE BULLETS 93 (Cook 26, Prather 24, Bannan 17)
BOX SCORE
Prather’s explosive scoring and Cook’s tenacious defense were instrumental in securing the win for the Bullets. Their chemistry and leadership on the court were evident throughout the game, inspiring their teammates to elevate their play and secure the much-needed victory.
With this win, the Bullets have kept their playoff hopes alive and demonstrated their resilience and determination as a team. Prather and Cook’s stellar play will undoubtedly be key as they continue their push for a postseason berth.
The Bullets and their fans can now breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that their season is still alive thanks to the stellar performances of Prather and Cook. Here’s to more success and thrilling victories in the games to come! #GoBullets #PlayoffPush
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