STANLEY MATCH REPORT: Sobey's 36 lifts Phoenix over Breakers

Nathan Sobey has continued what could be the best season of his NBL career aged 35 with 36 points in Traralgon as the South East Melbourne Phoenix wore down the New Zealand Breakers to win 92-80.

Sobey poured in a season-best 36 points - one off his career-high - including 7/16 from three-point range at the Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium on Saturday night as the Phoenix (11-6) consolidated third position.

It was the second game this week for the Phoenix in Traralgon and after a loss to the Tasmania JackJumpers on Wednesday, they were highly motivated to bounce back but the Breakers arrived fresh and having won three straight.

That set up a tantalising match up and not much separated the teams through the first half, but the longer the game went the Phoenix wore the Breakers down and Sobey became the ultimate difference also having seven rebounds and five assists to be +22 in his 34 minutes.

Jordan Hunter knocked down another pair of three balls on his way to 12 points and nine rebounds with Hunter Maldonado starting again in place in the absence of Owen Foxwell for 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists despite foul trouble.

John Brown III also had 10 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals with his trademark physical defence down low with Wes Iwundu chiming in with nine points, five boards and three blocks, and Patrick Ryan made two threes for six points.

It was a tough night in the finish for the Breakers as they stay outside the top six at 7-11 with Parker Jackson-Cartwright finishing with 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists but he did shoot 7/19 from the field.

Rob Baker II added 16 points on 3/5 three-point shooting with Izaiah Brockington contributing 12 points, seven boards and three assists, Tai Webster 10 points and three assists, and Sam Mennenga nine points and nine rebounds.

Sobey, the clear difference between the two teams, drilled back-to-back triples in a run of eight straight Phoenix points inside the last 55 seconds of the first term to put the hosts up 26-20.

The Breakers' shooting was ragged but they compensated by handsomely winning the first-half rebound count 28-19 - including 10-2 on the offensive glass.

New Zealand pinched the lead late in the second period on a tough Tai Webster drive before Sobey got off the leash again and put South East Melbourne back in front 44-41 at half-time.

Sobey had 27 by three quarter-time as the Phoenix pulled further ahead 71-62 before the Tokyo Olympian continued to fill his boots in the fourth.

After Maldonado extended South East Melbourne's cushion to 86-69, the Breakers ate into some of the margin late, before Maldonado finished the visitors off with a bomb from just inside the halfway line - the Phoenix's 14th three-pointer - on the final buzzer.

The Phoenix now head west to take on the Perth Wildcats on Thursday night, before their open roof game against Brisbane next Saturday.

FULL TIME STATS

Sobey: 36p/7r/5a/1stl/1blk
Hunter: 12p/9r/2a
Brown III: 10p/4r/5a/3stl/1blk
Maldonado: 10p/7r/3a/1stl/1blk
Iwundu: 9p/5r/1a/3blk
Ryan: 6p/1a/1stl
Aliir: 3p/3r/1a/2blk
Glover: 2p/1a
Foster: 2p/2r/2a/2stl
Mitchell: 2p/1a

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