The New Zealand Breakers will play their first home game in 489 days on October 7 against the Tasmania JackJumpers.
Mark down October 7 in your calendar, New Zealand hoops fans.
The Breakers will make their long-awaited Australian National Basketball League home return when they meet the Tasmania JackJumpers at Auckland’s Spark Arena on October 7.
After being based in Australia the last two seasons during the pandemic, it will be an emotional night for the Breakers.
They haven’t played in New Zealand since June 5 last year when they closed out the 2020-21 campaign with a set of home games – losing to the South East Melbourne Phoenix 83-78 at Trusts Arena.
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“The sacrifices the New Zealand Breakers have made, and what they’ve had to endure over the past two seasons is unprecedented and we are forever grateful,” NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger said.
“We simply can’t wait for them to be welcomed home in front of what is sure to be a raucous crowd in Auckland.”
Daniel Pockett/Getty Images
New Breakers head coach Mody Maor will guide the team in their first home game in 489 days at Spark Arena on October 7.
The Breakers, under new head coach Mody Maor, are coming off their worst season in club history – finishing rock bottom in 2021-22 with five wins from 28 games.
They will open the season against Melbourne United at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena on October 2.
Fourteen home games are on tap for the Breakers this season with the bulk at their Spark Arena headquarters in downtown Auckland.
The Breakers will play the Phoenix on December 1 and Melbourne United on January 12 at venues to be confirmed around New Zealand. They face the Perth Wildcats on January 4 in New Plymouth.
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Australian guard William McDowell-White is back for another season with the Breakers.
Auckland’s Trusts Arena will also host two games against the Phoenix on October 20 and the Adelaide 36ers on November 20.
The Breakers close out the regular season with an away game against the Illawarra Hawks in Wollongong on February 2.
The NBL returns to its traditional summer timeslot tipping off with a doubleheader on October 1.
“We are thrilled to be back where we belong on the sports’ calendar and playing through the summer months, through to March next year,” Loeliger said.
“After two interrupted seasons, we are excited to provide fans with a full schedule, so they can confidently plan for the year and attend and watch as many games as possible.”
The NBL is coming off one of its most successful years in recent history achieving unprecedented growth with the total number of fans swelling to almost 4 million and total attendances up 17%.
Average TV audiences are up 12% with almost 230 million international viewers reached through global broadcasts.
Highlights of the 2022-23 NBL season includes:
Tip-off: Phoenix v JackJumpers and Hawks v Kings – October 1
Breakers return home: v JackJumpers – October 7
Grand Final re-match: Kings v JackJumpers – December 11
Open Air Game: United v Taipans – December 23
Christmas Eve: 36ers v Phoenix – December 24
Christmas Day: Kings v United – December 25
Boxing Day: JackJumpers v Breakers – December 26
New Year’s Eve: Hawks v Wildcats and Taipans v 36ers – December 31
New Year’s Day: JackJumpers v Phoenix and Bullets v United – January 1, 2023
Australia Day: Bullets v Breakers – January 26, 2023
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