Torrey Craig hits four threes in the last two minutes, but the Breakers hold off the Kings 102-101 in Canberra

Torrey Craig hit a three with 1:55 left. Then another at 1:35, a third at 1:18 and a fourth, from 27 feet, with 13 seconds to go. The Sydney Kings had been down 98-85. They lost 102-101 to the New Zealand Breakers in Canberra on Wednesday night. The threes came one possession short.

It was an Ignite Cup game, played away from Sydney, and it lifted the Breakers to 4-3. They did it without their two imports, Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Josiah-Jordan James. Sydney played without Matthew Dellavedova.

The Kings take the first half

The Kings scored the first basket of the night and opened an eight-point lead in the first quarter, but New Zealand answered with eight straight points to tie it at 19 and led 31-29 after one.

The second quarter was Sydney's. The Kings scored 32 points on 12-of-18 shooting, and Makuach Maluach, starting in Dellavedova's place, had 15 points by half-time. Sydney led by 12 at 59-47 and went in 61-51.

The Breakers take the third

Then the Kings went cold. They scored 12 points in the third quarter on 4-of-20 shooting, 1 of 9 from three. New Zealand scored 24. An 11-0 Breakers run late in the quarter turned a 69-61 deficit into a 72-69 lead, and they were ahead 75-73 at the last break. The Breakers did not trail again.

Three-pointers from Reuben Te Rangi and Mojave King stretched the lead to nine with just under six minutes left. When the Kings got a little closer, Carlin Davison answered with a three-point play, and the Breakers were ahead 98-85 with 2:24 to play, the biggest lead of the game.

Craig's two minutes

Craig's first three threes, in 37 seconds, cut it to 98-94. The Breakers led 101-96 when he hit the fourth, from 27 feet, to make it 101-99 with 13 seconds left. Sam Mennenga made one of two free throws for 102-99, and he went 2 of 4 at the line in the last 23 seconds. Tyler Robertson tipped in a miss with two seconds on the clock to make it 102-101, and Sydney did not get another good shot away.

Craig finished with 28 points on 7-of-15 from three. Maluach had 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. Xavier Cooks scored 18 with three blocks, Kendric Davis had 17 points and 11 assists, and Andrew Carr 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Davison runs the point, Mennenga finishes

Davison, playing point guard with both imports out, had 20 points, 14 assists and four steals on 6-of-9 shooting. Mennenga scored 27 with 13 rebounds on 9-of-12. Mojave King added 17, Dejan Vasiljevic 13, and Kouat Noi 10 in his first game against his former club.

Scoring: Breakers 102-101 Kings

Breakers: Sam Mennenga 27, Carlin Davison 20, Mojave King 17, Dejan Vasiljevic 13, Kouat Noi 10, Reuben Te Rangi 6, Charles Bediako 4, Izayah Le'Afa 3, Anzac Rissetto 2.

Kings: Torrey Craig 28, Makuach Maluach 19, Xavier Cooks 18, Kendric Davis 17, Andrew Carr 15, Tyler Robertson 4, Harry Wessels 0, Jason Spurgin 0, Will Johnston 0.

By quarter: Breakers 31, 20, 24, 27. Kings 29, 32, 12, 28.

What is next

The Kings host the Perth Wildcats in Sydney on Saturday, October 17 at 7:30 p.m. The Breakers stay on the road and play the Tasmania JackJumpers on Sunday, October 18 at 3 p.m.

Update: both teams played again at the weekend. The Kings beat Perth 102-81 and the Breakers lost 98-92 in Tasmania.