Report: Ethan Jaiswal
The MK Breakers are through to the Semi-Finals of the NBL 3 Playoffs following a hard-fought, entertaining 107-70 victory over Cardiff City. A close affair over two quarters, the Breakers would stun their opponents by putting on an absolute third quarter clinic coming out of halftime, which saw Dante Langley scoring 12 straight points with a ruthless intensity that typifies playoff basketball.
The Breakers fans in attendance at Bletchley Leisure Centre were treated to one of the best games of the season, and will have the opportunity to see their home-side in playoff action again next Saturday 15th April, when they take on another another side from the Welsh capital, the Cardiff Met Archers, tickets available here.
The Breakers would begin the game at a scintillating rate, racking up 11 points unanswered thanks to baskets from Blayne Freckleton, Langley and Jordan Spencer. During this time, Cardiff put themselves in foul trouble which caused them difficulty getting into any kind of rhythm on the offensive end, whilst struggling to keep up with the intensity of the Breakers’ own scoring output. As the quarter progressed, the visitors settled into the game and the top-seeded Breakers lost some steam offensively allowing Cardiff City to find a footing in the matchup, eventually bringing it to a 2-point game at the end of the first period. 22-20.
Playoff Semi Final Tickets: MK Breakers vs Cardiff Met Archers
The second quarter was similarly intense, with both sides going back-and-forth grappling over the lead. Mike New Jr. and Spencer led the way for the home side, combining for 16 of the team’s 18 total points. New Jr. had a standout performance this game, stuffing the statsheet and doing so efficiently (17 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists). New Jr. is an experienced and integral piece for this title-winning Breakers side: previously playing in NBL 1, he proved that he could be relied upon during a tricky stretch of the game where the Breakers’ offence wasn’t firing on all cylinders. For the visitors, Wilkes scored 11 of their 22 points that ultimately led to the visitors winning the quarter by 2 points to leave the game tied 40-40 heading into halftime.
The opening minutes of the third quarter were simply electrifying: after a sub-par performance in the first two, the Breakers stepped onto the court with a point to prove. Langley opened the scoring with a nice lay-up off the bounce pass from Freckleton, and would go onto score another 10 in succession including an and-1 play and a spot-up 3-point shot in front of the Cardiff City bench. Langley led the Breakers in scoring with a huge 33 points on 70% shooting from the floor, blistering efficiency to say the least. The Breakers would go on to rack up a staggering 42 points over the course of the quarter, putting the game to bed in style.
Playoff Semi Final Tickets: MK Breakers vs Cardiff Met Archers
After stunning Cardiff City in a 42-15 quarter, the visitors were not able to bring themselves back into the tie, with the Breakers’ key players continuing to score at will. Captain Jordan Spencer posted 29 points on 57% FG and knocked down 5 three pointers at a 41% rate. Final score, 107-70.
The Breakers displayed a high-level of grit and determination to dominate the second half in the way they did, and such a performance will boost the side’s confidence heading into the latter stages of the post-season. They now turn their attention to another side from Wales: the Cardiff Met Archers. The Archers won the NBL 3 South West league and look to be a formidable outfit heading into the Semi-Finals. Head Coach Billy Beddow will spend the upcoming week preparing for another tough battle against a set of hungry opponents vying for a spot in the Finals.
Tickets are available here and until midnight on Monday 10th April, can be purchased at a 20% discount using the code MKSF20.
