Basketball: Parker Jackson-Cartwright scores 31 as New Zealand Breakers keep playoff hopes alive

Point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright has kept the New Zealand Breakers' ANBL playoff hopes alive, dazzling with a 31-point display against the Illawarra Hawks in front of a packed crowd inside Spark Arena. 

With star import Anthony Lamb ruled out for the season with an Achilles rupture, Jackson-Cartwright took it upon himself to inspire his team in the must-win game.  

He made 13 of his 21 shots, while knocking down two of his four attempts from deep. The speedy playmaker also collected seven assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals. 

Jackson-Cartwright was most impressive in the second half. With his team trailing by one going into the half, he scored 10 points in the third, then eight in the fourth to close out the tight-knit affair. 

Will McDowell-White was also impressive - scoring 16 while acting as the primary ball handler for much of the game.  

The Hawks' best player was standout import Tyler Harvey who scored 22 points, including three big triples late in the piece to keep his side in the game.  

However, his efforts weren't enough as the Breakers held on for a thrilling three-point win.  

The victory lifts the Breakers from seventh to fourth on the ANBL ladder - good enough to host a spot in the play-in round if they can remain there.  

The Breakers have three games remaining in the regular season. 

NZ Breakers: 88 

Illawarra Hawks: 85 

Point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright has kept the New Zealand Breakers' ANBL playoff hopes alive, dazzling with a 31-point display against the Illawarra Hawks in front of a packed crowd inside Spark Arena. 

With star import Anthony Lamb ruled out for the season with an Achilles rupture, Jackson-Cartwright took it upon himself to inspire his team in the must-win game.  

He made 13 of his 21 shots, while knocking down two of his four attempts from deep. The speedy playmaker also collected seven assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals. 

Jackson-Cartwright was most impressive in the second half. With his team trailing by one going into the half, he scored 10 points in the third, then eight in the fourth to close out the tight-knit affair. 

Will McDowell-White was also impressive - scoring 16 while acting as the primary ball handler for much of the game.  

The Hawks' best player was standout import Tyler Harvey who scored 22 points, including three big triples late in the piece to keep his side in the game.  

However, his efforts weren't enough as the Breakers held on for a thrilling three-point win.  

The victory lifts the Breakers from seventh to fourth on the ANBL ladder - good enough to host a spot in the play-in round if they can remain there.  

The Breakers have three games remaining in the regular season. 

NZ Breakers: 88 

Illawarra Hawks: 85 

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.