The New Zealand Breakers have limped to a third consecutive defeat, this time at the hands of the Brisbane Bullets 88-67 at Nissan Arena.
The Breakers (4-10) are still shorthanded missing key players Rob Loe, Corey Webster, and new signing William McDowell-White while underperforming import Lamar Patterson was released from his contract during the week.
The Kiwi club somehow stayed with the Bullets (9-7) for the first half before being destroyed in the second stanza, surrendering offensive rebounds and turning the ball over to ensure they were never really in the ANBL contest.
The Auckland outfit struggled with scoring with just two players reaching double figures.They were lead by star guard Tai Webster (19 points, five assists) who was helped by the in-form Finn Delany (12 points, nine rebounds).
Breakers coach Dan Shamir said it was a waiting game until star guard Webster returns from injury and replacements arrive in the import positions, but they need to be more competitive until that happens.
"It was a tough night for us," he said. "There is the short term and the longer term. In the short term, we have Melbourne United so they have to be better [to compete against them].
"In the longer term, we've got to survive a few games and hopefully, players will come in, Corey is coming back in the next few weeks so that will add a bit more of an aspect to our game."
The Breakers kept it tight in the first half with Webster and Colton Iverson (nine points) dominating the scoring for their side to trial by only five at the halfway point. The turning point in the contest was the third stanza where the Breakers were hammed 20-9, leaving them with a mountain of work to do.
The Breakers struggled from deep shooting with a woeful 23 percent.
By three-quarter-time, the Bullets' lead was 18 and the Breakers were dead and buried before the home side finished the job to round out the 21-point victory.
The Auckland side will next get their chance to break their losing streak on Thursday when they travel to face second-place Melbourne United.
Brisbane Bullets 88 (Froling 20, Hodgson 16, Drmic 16) NZ Breakers 67 (T Webster 19, Delany 12, Iverson 9).
