Tacko Fall enjoyed his most productive NBL outing, but it wasn't enough to stop the NZ Breakers crashing to a fifth straight defeat in an embarrassing 100-76 loss to the Tasmania JackJumpers.
Fall, who at 229cm is the tallest man to ever feature in the NBL, scored a team-high 16 points and pulled in four rebounds from 18 minutes of court time in Thursday night's match in Auckland.
But 22 first-half points from JackJumpers sharpshooter Jordon Crawford (24 points for the night) and an important contribution from Sean Macdonald (17 points) lifted Tasmania (8-8) to their fifth straight win.
The Breakers (7-8) haven't won since recruiting Fall, a former NBA centre who featured for both Boston and Cleveland.Â
Fall entered Thursday's match averaging 6.7 points per game, but he already had 10 points to his name by halftime and ended the match a perfect 6-of-6 from the field.
Fall's impact wasn't just on the scoreboard, with one of his dunks so powerful it bent the metal on the ring and forced a short delay while it got fixed.
But the Breakers looked disjointed for most of the time Fall was on the court, with the team still yet to learn just how to capitalise on the extreme height and reach the former NBA centre offers.
"Offensively, he's a mismatch and he generates a lot of open looks in offence when they collapse," Breakers coach Petteri Koponen said of Fall.
"We just need to knock down some shots. It's a confidence thing. When we get better and make some shots, basketball becomes easier after that.
"But the main issue right now is our defence."
NZ had a shocker from long range, nailing just four of their 29 attempts from the perimeter.
Star Breakers guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright finished with 11 points - an equal career low.
Fall picked up two personal fouls within the first six minutes of the match, forcing him back to the bench.
With the Breakers struggling from long range, Tasmania took control of the contest.
Macdonald's eight first-quarter points gave the visitors a 29-19 lead, and the margin extended to as much as 21 points late in the second term as Crawford ran hot.Â
Crawford was held scoreless in the third quarter, but Tasmania were still able to maintain a 15-point margin heading into the final break, and they were never challenged in the last quarter.
"A tremendous amount of credit goes to the players," title-winning JackJumpers coach Scott Roth said of his team's hot run.
"I'm not a very good coach, I'm probably the 20th best coach in the NBL, but I've got the best coaching staff in the league.
"Their work habits to get these guys ready every night is a pleasure to work.
"And it goes back to the players believing in the system, believing in what we do, and you slowly reap the rewards. But we're a long way from being the finished product."
