Tatum 'sorry' after Breakers dunk on Hawks by 42 | Basketball.com.au

Breakers Dominate Hawks 102-60 in Wollongong

The New Zealand Breakers delivered a commanding performance against the Illawarra Hawks, winning 102–60 at the WIN Entertainment Centre during Round 7 of NBL26. The game highlighted Illawarra’s defensive struggles and lack of effort throughout the match.

Match Overview

One team was fully prepared while the other fell short. The Breakers, representing New Zealand, showed readiness and discipline, while the defending champions, the Illawarra Hawks, struggled defensively from start to finish.

“If I’m honest, no,” said Breakers head coach Petteri Koponen when asked if they expected such a dominant win. “But you know, we’ve shown these flashes throughout the beginning of the season. We had great, great 20 minutes, 25 minutes — like you said, against Brisbane we dominated the first half. We were up by, what, 24 points? I think that loss hurt everybody. There was pain, and we took that feeling.”

Defensive Focus

Koponen emphasized the importance of maintaining consistent effort throughout the entire game. He noted that the team's success was rooted in strong defensive performance.

“Today, the big topic was we need a consistent 40 minutes — and we found that. Especially defensively, we were really connected today. When we get stops, we get to the open court, and we’re a pretty good team. But everything started on the defensive end — guys were communicating, being there, helping each other.”

Key Highlights

Match Photo

Sam Mennenga of the Breakers made a powerful dunk during the game, symbolizing the team’s dominance in this match. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

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Basketball.com.au Basketball.com.au — 2025-11-01

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