NBL Next Star Karim Lopez has starred in front of NBA scouts to help deliver the New Zealand Breakers a strong 18-point win over Cairns Taipans on Saturday.
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The 18-year-old Mexican registered his first double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds to lift the Breakers to their 10th win of the season and enhance their finals chances.
Breakers forward Sam Mennenga also stood tall for a game-high 28 points to also catch the attention of recruiters at the HoopsFest in Perth.
While the Taipans remained within reach for much of the game, they just lead for 12 seconds in total at RAC Arena as the Breakers fired home late to score the 104-86 win.
It was just about curtains when crafty Breakers point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright nailed a mid-range jumper to extend his side’s lead to 15 points with 5min 50secs remaining.
Earlier, the Breakers held five-point leads at quarter time and half time, before jumping out to a bigger 12-point advantage at three-quarter time.
Breakers guard Izaiah Brockington helped spark the buffer in the third quarter with nine points in the term in a influential game where the 26-year-old finished with 24 points and three rebounds.
Mennenga knocked down eight points in the final quarter to help seal the win which lifts his seventh-placed Breakers closer to sixth-placed Tasmania JackJumpers on the table.
It was also a crucial win for the Breakers with eight games remaining in the season and big clashes against South East Melbourne, Adelaide 36ers and Melbourne United coming up in their next three games.
Meanwhile, the Taipans had a two-game win streak snapped following the loss as they fall to a 7-18 record with their finals hopes dashed.
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Breakers captain Jackson-Cartwright continually caused issues for the Taipans with a double-double 17 points and 10 assists.
Taipans coach Adam Forde was ejected midway through the second quarter with Mojave King and Admiral Schofield top-scoring for the ninth-placed side with 19 points each.
Mennenga had 12 points in the opening five minutes before finishing with his second most points registered in a game this season for the Breakers big.
LOPEZ SHINES IN FRONT OF GM
With Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks in town to watch Lopez and Melbourne United’s Dash Daniels, the Mexican youngster produced the goods.
The youngster made a classy one-handed dunk in the opening term, had nine points in the second quarter alone and made a spectacular one-handed lay up from an inbound in the third.
Lopez finished his starring night with 16 points, 11 boards, two assists and a steal.
There were also Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers representatives in the house to watch the NBA Draft prospect alongside some other potential future players.
BIG STANDS UP
With star big man Sam Waardenburg out of side due to an ankle injury, fellow big Sam Mennenga was left to his own devices.
And he delivered with a hot start 12 points in the opening five minutes of the game, before finishing with 28 points, five boards and an assist.
Mennenga slammed down a powerful dunk half way through the first quarter to get up to 12 points. The 24-year-old later nailed back-to-back dunks at the start of the fourth quarter to give his side a 12-point lead with 8:15 remaining.
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COACH EJECTED
Forde’s night was over after two technical fouls in quick succession midway through the second quarter.
The Taipans coach was given his marching orders after pressing questions to the referees following his point guard Andrew Andrews (15 points and five assists) copping a blow to his head trying to lay up.
TAIPANS FIRE THREE
The Taipans knocked down their shots from long range left, right and centre in the opening half.
Forde’s side shot 10/16 from three across the first two quarters with Mojave King, Andrew Andrews and Admiral Schofield each nailing three triples.
The Taipans finished with 16/33 from three-point range.
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