NZ Breakers have continued their dour start to the ANBL season with a 94-84 loss to the Sydney Kings in Qudo Bank Arena.
Corey Webster's offensive clinic off the bench ensured the Breakers were neck and neck with the Kings until the final quarter, when a shooting dry spell and Kings star Caspar Ware conspired to inflict a fourth loss in five games on the struggling NZ side.
Webster produced his best performance of the young season so far, netting 25 points on 10/18 shooting.
Younger brother Tai Webster had a tough night with 13 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, while Lamar Patterson had just six points, six boards and three assists. The pair combined to shoot 5/24 from the field.
Finn Delany had 12 points and eight rebounds, but the story will be New Zealand scoring just two points in a six-minute stretch, where short-handed Sydney - missing several key players through injury - took the game away.
Breakers coach Dan Shamir isn't hiding from the fact that his team's performance was good enough.
"We are struggling and it's another tough night," Shamir admits. "Obviously, we were in the game and were up five with six minutes left, but overall as a group, we are struggling with a lot of simple actions.
"I think we played in control in a lot of areas and to a certain extent together, but it's not enough to win. We are much better than that and at the offensive end, it's very obvious that we must be much better."
American Ware finished with 22 points for the Kings, while Jarell Martin added 20.
The Breakers and their counterparts now travel to Melbourne to play in the NBL Cup, which will proceed, despite the five-day lockdown implemented on Friday.
They play their first game of the new competition against Illawarra on Monday.
