Box Score: Reading Rockets 89-90 MK Breakers
Milton Keynes Breakers overcame second placed Reading Rockets on Sunday evening with the Breakers running out 90-89 winners in one of the games of the season.
Nate Robinson led the scoring for MK Breakers with 19 points, with the returning Jordan Spencer hitting 17 points on his return. Adrian Scarborough and KJ Johnson both scored 14 points, with the former picking up nine rebounds.
The Breakers ran out to an early lead with Chris Tawiah and Adrian Scarborough putting up the first points of the evening. As expected, the Rockets would keep the game tight, but four points from Kai Walker ensured the Breakers maintained their four point lead. Victor Olarerin netted the first three points of the afternoon to reduce the lead to just one point, but Scarborough ensured the gap returned to three points with his lay up.
Ty Nsangu and Johnson both exchanged buckets, before Jordan Spencer converted his first three points back in the Breakers colours to restore the four point gap. With the first quarter drawing to a close, Isaac Spurrier converted one of his two free throws, before Romario Spence added four points in the closing seconds to ensure the Breakers closed out the first with a 21-15 lead.
Jordan Spencer and KJ Johnson scored early layups in the opening stages of the second quarter to bring the Breakers advantage to eight points, with Romario Spence extending that gap to ten points following his successive free throws. Nsangu and Justin Hopkins reduced that lead to six points, before Tawiah’s dunk pushed the Breakers back to eight points.
The Rockets, however, rallied and pulled themselves to within one point of the lead following five points from Hopkins, with Clarke’s layup reducing the lead to a single digit. The game was tied shortly after Kai Walker’s free throw as Hopkin’s lay up brought the home fans to their feet. Their celebrations were immediately dampened as Nate Robinson converted his three point effort, but five points from Olarerin inside a minute would swing the lead back in favour of the hosts.
Olarerin and Hopkins pushed the Rockets lead to seven points, with Mitch Clarke adding two more points to extend their lead to nine. Scarborough closed out the quarter with his layup to stop the Rockets run, and more importantly, bring the Breakers to within seven points at the half.
Tickets: MK Breakers vs Hemel Storm 1st March
The two sides exchanged baskets early in the third with Kai Walker and Nate Robinson combining to ensure the gap between the two sides fell to just five points. Adrian Scarborough’s lay up ensured it was a one possession game, but Simon Chamberlain’s three pointer pushed the Rockets to six points ahead. Olarerin followed suit shortly after to push his side out to nine points, with Hopkins and Allman helping the hosts extend their lead to 13 points.
Both Robinson and Spencer found their groove as the Breakers chipped away at the lead, Robinson’s three point jump shot was followed shortly after by Jordan Spencer achieving the same feat to keep the Breakers within seven points of the Rockets. The same man then converted two free throws to close the lead to six points, and whilst Olarerin’s dunk pushed it back to eight points, Tawiah was on hand to close out the third with the Rockets leading 63-57 with ten minutes left to play.
The Breakers needed a fast start and they got exactly that Romario Spencer hit a three point effort to eat into the Rockets’ lead, Adrian Scarborough followed up with his lay up ensuring the Breakers were within a point of the Rockets. Poorman’s two free throws and Olarerin’s lay up gave the Rockets some breathing room, but five converted three throws from the Breakers reduced the game to just two points.
The lead then swung in favour of the Breakers as KJ Johnson’s three point effort pushed Billy Beddow’s side ahead, however, the Rockets would retake the lead thanks to points from Poorman and Nsangu. Nate Robinson and Hopkins exchanged points before the Rockets would push their lead to five points with just under four minutes of play remaining. Scarborough and Tawiah pulled the Breakers to within one, with Robinson giving the Breakers the lead with his three point effort.
The Breakers never looked back from there, with Scarborough and Spencer pushing the Breakers advantage to six points, the latter would keep the gap at six points with his free throws, before hitting an all important third free throw to put the Breakers ahead by seven. Simon Chamberlain and Hopkins ensured the final seconds would be nervous ones as they got the Rockets back to within two points with four seconds remaining, but KJ Johnson was the calmest man in the building to sink his two free throws.
Olarerin’s buzzer beater three point effort closed out the game as the Breakers picked up an impressive 90-89 win over their KitKing Trophy final opponents.
The Breakers are back on the road next week when the team travels to third placed Loughborough Riders in a crucial game that could play a big factor in determining final league standings. Tip off is 6pm at Lougbroough University, with tickets available HERE.
The Breakers will face Reading once again next month in the KitKing Trophy Final in Surrey. Tickets are going fast, get yours HERE (Block B).
