Race for cursed finals spot takes twist as contender cops major injury blow – NBL Daily

The race for sixth place has taken another hit, with the New Zealand Breakers confirming their All-NBL calibre big man will miss 6-8 weeks.

All of this and more in the latest NBL Daily.

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BREAKERS DEALT INJURY BLOW WITH BIG MAN TO MISS 6-8 WEEKS

The race for sixth place on the NBL ladder has taken another unfortunate turn, with the New Zealand Breakers confirming Sam Mennenga has been ruled out for 6-8 weeks with a wrist fracture.

The club released a statement following the game, with Breakers President of Basketball Operations Dillon Boucher confirming the severity of the injury and the expected recovery timeline.

“Sam sustained a wrist fracture following a heavy fall in the fourth quarter,” Boucher said.

“Unfortunately, he will be out for 6-8 weeks to allow the bone time to heal.”

Post-game X-rays confirmed the fracture, with Mennenga set to undergo an MRI on Tuesday to assess whether there is any additional damage.

The injury is a significant blow for the Breakers, with Mennenga in the midst of an All-NBL calibre season in NBL26. In his third season, the forward has been averaging career highs across the board, posting 17.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting an efficient 51 per cent from the field.

The Breakers are also managing concerns around Max Darling, who has been playing through a fractured eye socket while wearing a protective mask.

“Max will undergo an MRI to assess damage to his knee sustained during the same period,” Boucher said.

“He has shown true toughness to keep playing through his injuries.”

Those setbacks come on top of the season-ending ACL injury to Rob Baker II, suffered at NBL HoopsFest, further complicating the Breakers’ push to secure the final playoff spot.

While the deadline for replacing injured players has passed, NBL rules do allow clubs to apply for an exemption in exceptional circumstances, with the league holding discretion over whether a late registration is approved.

Addressing the situation, club owner and chairman Marc Mitchell said the Breakers would assess their options while remaining focused on results.

“The club will evaluate its roster options over the coming days,” Mitchell said.

“Although NBL rules restrict the signing of replacements at this point in the season, we remain 100 per cent focused on winning and will continue to fight with the squad we have.”

With the Tasmania JackJumpers also losing multiple players to injury this round, the race for sixth place is shaping as one of the most unpredictable and attritional finishes to the season.