The New Zealand Breakers won their first game at home for the season.
Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images
The Kings showed plenty of fight, reeling in a 21-point third-term deficit to trail by five with more than three minutes left but the Breakers were not to be denied, capping a dream homecoming at Auckland's The Trusts Arena.
It seemed only something special would spoil the Breakers' party on Thursday after the hosts appeared revitalised in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 3000 fans in their first home game in 461 days due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Indeed, a Breakers outfit out of finals contention looked like a different team after returning from a five-month stint in Australia and finally playing a game in New Zealand for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak struck in February, 2020.