Lamarvellous! Patterson comes through in clutch

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Comeback complete for both Lamar Patterson and the Brisbane Bullets.

For Patterson he's returned to the NBL in 2025-26 and for Brisbane he made a clutch, game-winning runner across the lane with 16 seconds left to put the Bullets in front 84-83 on the road against the New Zealand Breakers in Round 6 of NBL26.

The Bullets are now 3-5 and Breakers 2-7.

"Just the fight," Lash said.

"I’ve been talking about it all year — the resiliency of the group and the togetherness.

"To be able to weather that storm, I just loved our response coming out of halftime. There was no panic.

"We talked through a couple of things, a few adjustments, a few key points that we weren’t really sound on in the first half, and then we come out 29–15 in that third quarter and wind up holding them to 26 points in the second half.

"That’s a really impressive effort by us.

Casey Prather led the visitors with 23 points and 12 rebounds to complete a stunning 18-point comeback, down 57-39 at halftime.

Brisbane's New Zealand centre Tyrell Harrison said it was a strong step forward for the Bullets.

"We’ve had a pretty interesting start to the season with all these injuries," he said.

"With key players going down, we’ve had chats as a team — everyone taking that one-percent step forward, filling in the missing shoes. We just want to go out there, play super-physical, really test other teams — something we haven’t done for a while.

"I’m super proud of the boys for how we went about it in the second half — just how we played, really proud.

Key Details

• Result: Brisbane Bullets 84 def. New Zealand Breakers 83
• When: 23rd October 2025
• Where: Eventfinda Stadium, New Zealand
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Casey Prather (Brisbane Bullets) starred with 23 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and two steals in 32 minutes.
• Sam Mennenga (New Zealand Breakers) scored 27 points, had six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block in 30 minutes.

What Happened

The New Zealand Breakers dominated the first quarter, racing to a commanding 25-11 lead behind Sam Mennenga's hot shooting. They extended their advantage in the second period, outscoring the Bullets 32-28 to take a seemingly comfortable 57-39 lead into halftime.

Brisbane engineered a remarkable turnaround in the third quarter, with Lamar Patterson finding his rhythm to help the Bullets outscore the Breakers 29-15. The visitors continued their momentum into the final period, where they completed their comeback with a 16-11 fourth quarter to secure the one-point victory.

Casey Prather was exceptional for Brisbane, collecting 23 points on efficient 9-from-21 shooting while adding a game-high 12 rebounds. His inside presence proved crucial as the Bullets slowly chipped away at the Breakers' lead. Lamar Patterson added 20 points on outstanding 10-from-14 shooting to provide the perfect offensive complement.

The Breakers' collapse was characterised by deteriorating shooting efficiency. After shooting well in the first half, New Zealand managed just 26 points across the final two quarters. Despite Mennenga's 27-point performance on 12-from-19 shooting, the home side couldn't maintain their early momentum. Parker Jackson-Cartwright struggled with his shot, going just 7-from-23 from the field.

Brisbane's superior shooting efficiency (49.2% compared to New Zealand's 38.5%) ultimately proved decisive. The Bullets also capitalised at the free-throw line, attempting 24 free throws to the Breakers' 11, which helped offset their higher turnover count (10 compared to six).