Remember to regularly refresh this page for latest updates.
Fourth quarter
Full-time: Phoenix Suns 91 (Deandre Ayton 21, Trevor Ariza 16, TJ Warren 13) NZ Breakers 86 (Corey Webster 27, Tai Wesley 15)
Great performance from the Breakers, especially Webster, who may attract some interest from NBA teams, as a result of that game. He had seven assists to got with his 27 points and four three-pointers.
The NBL side were tested and showed they could rise to the occasion, outscoring their rivals by 10 points over the final quarter. They actually made more field goals than the Suns, who went to the line more often and converted a better percentage.
That's the closest an Aussie NBL team has got to their NBA opponents this year.
11th minute: Breakers 86 Suns 89
Suns legend Eddie Jones declares: "This is a win for them."
Wesley hits a three with 10 seconds left.
11th minute: Breakers 83 Suns 89
From the out-of-bounds, Webster gets a shot from the corner, but is short.
The Breakers apply full-court pressure and foul Harrison with 28 seconds remaining. He makes both.
11th minute: Breakers 83 Suns 87
Webster hits a three and it's only four points now. The Breakers have possession from another turnover - their 21st of the game - and a timeout to draw another play.
They've outscored Phoenix 21-10 in the fourth quarter.
11th minute: Breakers 80 Suns 87
From the inbounds, Wesley lobs a pass at the ring and Abercrombie rises high to put it home - great play, drawn up during that timeout by Braswell.
10th minute: Breakers 78 Suns 87
Wesley goes to work on Dragan Bender in the post and draws a foul - he misses the first, but makes the second free throw.
Ninth minute: Breakers 77 Suns 87
Jackson hits a mid-range jumper to extend the Suns lead back to double figures.
Seventh minute: Breakers 77 Suns 85
Webster hits a runner and the difference is six, but Jackson slashes the lane for a lay-up.
Sixth minute: Breakers 75 Suns 83
Abercrombie blocks Josh Jackson's shot and on the fast break, Ili finds Webster in the corner, who finds Long under the basket. His lay-up is blocked, but he regathers to score.
The difference is now just eight points and the Suns burn another timeout.
Fifth minute: Breakers 73 Suns 83
Ili steals the ball on defence and drives the length of the court - his lay-up misses, but Moore is there to put the offensive board back.
Phoenix score, but Moore is back on the line to convert one of three freebies.
Third minute: Breakers 68 Suns 81
Long defends Ayton well in the post and the number one draft pick throws up an airball hook shot.
At the other end, the shot clock expires before Webster can find a shot.
Third minute: Breakers 68 Suns 81
Ili strokes one from the arc and the Breakers refuse to go away. Timeout Suns.
Second minute: Breakers 65 Suns 81
Long dunks off a nice pass from Moore, but Ayton hits a long jumper to answer.
First minute: Breakers 63 Suns 79
Ayton is back on court and has a dunk to open the scoring this quarter.
Third quarter
12th minute: Breakers 63 Suns 77
Holmes dunks - he is a useful pick-up for the Suns this season. Melton finishes and the Suns are on a run.
Richard ends that run with a long jumper and then Weeks slashes to the basket for a nice dunk to end the quarter.
10th minute: Breakers 58 Suns 72
You feel the air has gone out of the Breakers offence without Webster on court. Richard is fouled and is back at the line - he makes both. Jordan Ngatai enters the game.
Eighth minute: Breakers 56 Suns 67
Richard is fouled again - he's really asking questions of the Suns defence - and makes both freebies.
Seventh minute: Breakers 54 Suns 67
Richard makes a basket and converts a three-point opportunity.
Sixth minute: Breakers 51 Suns 64
Webster looks to have a three, but his foot is on the arc, so just two. Next time down the court, he has another.
Fifth minute: Breakers 47 Suns 64
Ayton seals his marker and has an easy dunk, from the assist from Anderson.
Fourth minute: Breakers 47 Suns 62
Ariza and Anderson hit threes to force a Breakers timeout.
Third minute: Breakers 47 Suns 56
Ayton hits another jumper over Long from the top of the key, but Wesley responds at the other end.
Second minute: Breakers 45 Suns 54
Must say, Braswell is wearing a nice suit.
Both teams lacking execution early in the third quarter.
First minute: Breakers 45 Suns 52
Webster hits another three to open the second half - he's feeling it and hasn't cooled down during the break.
Second quarter
11th minute: Breakers 42 Suns 52
Wesbter breaks down the Suns defence and finds Wesley cutting along the baseline for a basket.
At the other end, Warren is fouled and makes both free throws as the quarter ends.
Have to say the Breakers are doing much better than expected, with Webster and Wesley particularly impressive. Ayton has 13 points/10 rebounds for Phoenix, with Ariza also in double figures.
Defensively, the Breakers have actually forced the Suns into 12 turnovers to their own eight.
11th minute: Breakers 40 Suns 50
Okobo spins in the lane and draws a foul - he converts the first free throw and the second. Long and Ayton enter the game.
10th minute: Breakers 40 Suns 48
Two Abercrombie free throws close the margin and a turnover sees great interpassing for Wesley to lay home.
Ninth minute: Breakers 36 Suns 46
Ili gets a nice screen at the top of the key and connects with a floater.
Jackson his a rare three and Webster makes two for the Breakers. Webster now has 14 points with a couple of threes, so he's making the most of his opportunities to impress.
Eighth minute: Breakers 32 Suns 43
Ariza glides down the lane, makes the lay-up and converts the extra point. Webster responds with a three at the other end.
Seventh minute: Breakers 29 Suns 40
Ayton hits a beautiful turnaround jumper over Majok. He's replaced by Holmes.
Sixth minute: Breakers 29 Suns 38
Wesley has an open lay-up under the basket, but he's blocked by Ayton, who runs the floor for a dunk at the other end.
Ili hits a two for the Breakers. They're a little restricted right now, with Long incurring three personal fouls and out of the game.
The Breakers have no real height to combat Ayton, so he should be dominant.
Fourth minute: Breakers 27 Suns 36
Ariza hits a three - and then Webster connects with the Breakers' first of the game.
Fourth minute: Breakers 24 Suns 33
Webster rolls in a mid-ranger to break the Breakers drought. Next time down the court, Wesley fakes Harison into the air for an and-one opportunity - he misses it.
Third minute: Breakers 20 Suns 33
Harrison banks a three and he has begun this second quarter with five straight points.
Second minute: Breakers 20 Suns 30
Harrison makes an acrobatic lay-up, but misses his and-one opportunity.
Second minute: Breakers 20 Suns 28
Majok rises to put home an offensive rebound, but is called for the foul. Wesley is also called for a mystery post-up foul.
At the end of the opening period, the Suns are starting to gain an upperhand, forcing six turnovers and shooting 9/17 from the field.
Ayton has nine points and seven rebounds, while Webster leads the Breakers with four points.
First quarter
12th minute: Breakers 20 Suns 28
Richard gets fancy as the clock winds down and as he drives the lane, he tries a behind-the-back pass to Moore. It goes loose, the Suns recover and Warren has a dunk as time expires.
12th minute: Breakers 20 Suns 26
Armani Moore is on the for the Breakers, replacing Delany, and hits one of two from the line, after he's fouled.
11th minute: Breakers 19 Suns 26
Bridges makes a layup and when Weeks drives to the hoop, his pass out is intercepted by Ariza. Delany is called for a foul and Warren makes both free throws.
11th minute: Breakers 17 Suns 20
Finn Delany is on the court now, as Ayton makes one of two free throws.
At the other end, Delany is fouled on the perimeter, Breakers are in the bonus and he makes both freebies.
10th minute: Breakers 15 Suns 19
Ariza hits a corner two to extend the lead - timeout. Breakers import Patrick Richard has replaced Abercrombie.
The Breakers are hanging tough early, certainly better than the Perth Wildcats did against Utah Jazz on the weekend.
Weeks is fouled by Warren going to the basket and has two freebies - he misses both.
Ninth minute: Breakers 15 Suns 17
Ariza strokes a three to tie the scores, then Ayton hits a jumper for the lead.
Eighth minute: Breakers 15 Suns 12
Majok has replaced Long and is fouled under the basket - he hits two free throws.
Seventh minute: Breakers 13 Suns 10
Breakers score six straight points to run up a three-point lead - Webster hits a long two, Long rolls in a runner and Abercrombie tips home an offensive rebound.
Sixth minute: Breakers 7 Suns 10
Abercrombie fouls Ariza going to the basket and he slots both freebies. At the other end, Abercrombie is fouled and makes one of two.
Weeks subs on for Ili and Ayton dunks for his first basket.
Fifth minute: Breakers 6 Suns 6
Wesley hits an ungainly runner to tie up the scores. At the other end, Wesley rejects a lay-up attempt from Melton.
Fourth minute: Breakers 4 Suns 6
Webster hits a long two over Anderson.
Fourth minute: Breakers 2 Suns 6
Long fouls Harrison in the process of shooting a three - the Suns point guard makes two of three.
Second minute: Breakers 2 Suns 4
Jackson feeds Harrison cutting to the basket to put the Suns up.
Second minute: Breakers 2 Suns 2
Long hits a free throw for the Breakers, before Anderson gets the Suns on the board with a mid-range jumper over Abercrombie.
First minute: Breakers 1 Suns 0
Breakers win the tip and Wesley is fouled by Anderson, converting the second of his free-throws for an early lead.
First minute: Breakers 0 Suns 0
Breakers will open the game with a starting line-up of Shea Ili, Corey Webster, Tom Abercrombie, Tai Wesley and Shawn Long. Phoenix have Harrison, Jackson, Ariza, Anderson and Ayton.
*****
In their pre-season opener earlier this week, Phoenix lost 106-102 to Sacramento Kings - another team with some exciting young talent.
Ayton had 24 points, nine rebounds and three blocks to lead the Suns.
Phoenix have a couple of handy veterans this season, bringing Trevor Ariza and Ryan Anderson over from the Houston Rockets. Ariza has won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers and is known as one of the best defensive players in the league.
Anderson is best known as a three-pointing power forward, ideal for spreading the offence for Ayton to operate inside.
One position Phoenix may struggle is at point guard, where they don't seem to have an obvious starter. They may eventually switch Booker there, when he returns, but this pre-season will probably determine rotation through the 'one' spot.
One of those candidates - Isaiah Canaan - is listed as out for this game.
*****
Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to our live updates of the NZ Breakers' historic pre-season game against the NBA's Phoenix Suns, taking place at the colourfully named Talking Stick Resort Arena.
In the second season of Aussie NBL/NBA pre-season exchanges, this will be the first time the Breakers have come up against opponents from the world's premier domestic league (apologies to Euroleague fans).
Frankly, they will do well to hang within 20-30 points, but at least it will be an opportunity for the Breakers players to test themselves against some of the game's best athletes.
- Breakers lose American Shawn Long in build-up for Phoenix Suns
- Corey Webster keeps one eye on bigger prize against Phoenix
This is a very different Breakers roster to the one that was eliminated from the NBL semis last season, with new owners and new coach Kevin Braswell intent on playing a more entertaining up-tempo style.
This environment will give them a taste of what it's like to defend that style, with the Suns not known as one of the most structured teams in the NBA. They had last season's worst record with 21 losses/61 wins - their third straight 50-loss season.
But they have some incredible athletes, starting with number one draft pick Deandre Ayton at centre. He's been impressive in summer league and pre-season games so far, and looms as a real star to build around.
The Suns will be withou their current franchise player - shooting guard Devin Booker - who has a broken hand. He won the NBA three-point shooting competition last season and scored 70 points in a game two years ago.
But another young player to watch is small forward Josh Jackson, who is in his second season, after making the NBA All-Rookie Second Team last season. His match-up with Tom Abercrombie will be one to watch.
NZ Breakers: 3-Finn Delany, 4-Armani Moore, 5-Shea Ili, 9-Corey Webster, 10-Tom Abercrombie, 20-Jordan Ngatai, 21-Shawn Long, 22-Majok Majok, 35-Patrick Richard, 42-Tai Wesley, 97-Jarrad Weeks
Phoenix Suns: 0-Isaiah Canaan, 1-Devin Booker, 2-Elie Okobo, 3-Trevor Ariza, 4-Tyson Chandler, 8-George King, 10-Shaquile Harrison, 12-TJ Warren, 14-De-Anthony Melton, 15-Ryan Anderson, 20-Josh Jackson, 21-Richaun Holmes, 22-Deandre Ayton, 25-Mikal Bridges, 30-Troy Daniels, 32-Davon Reed, 35-Dragan Bender
Newshub.
