Milton Keynes Breakers make their home NBL Division 1 bow this weekend as they welcome Newcastle Knights to Bletchley Leisure Centre with tip-off scheduled for 5pm.
The Breakers have enjoyed a successful start to life in NBL Division 1 as they currently sit top of the division following wins over both Bradford Dragons and Essex Rebels respectively. Newcastle Knights, meanwhile, sit 11th in the division having lost both of their opening two fixtures. The Knights, however, have already faced two title favourites in Loughborough Riders and Hemel Storm who both finished inside the top six last season.
The Knights will be looking to better their fifth place and recruited well in the Summer to help them achieve the aim. Firstly, they retained the services of Logan Rooney who averaged the fifth most points in NBL Division 1 last season with an impressive 21.9 points per game. The Knights also added a man who placed higher on that list in the shape of Ronald Blain from Bradford Dragons, who averaged 22.1 points per game in the 2023/24 campaign. Blain placed second in the division for average steals per game and fifth in average blocks per game. Corey Johnson also made the move, joining from Derby Trailblazers where he shot an impressive 44.6% from beyond the arc.
The Breakers fans will be hoping for another Nate Robinson masterclass after his career-high 43 points saw the Breakers overcome Bradford Dragons last weekend. The performance has earned plaudits across the Basketball world as Robinson was named NBL Division 1 Player of the Week by Basketball England.
Despite their impressive start to life in NBL Division 1, Head Coach Billy Beddow-Patel is keeping his feet firmly on the ground, “We’re pleased with the positive start to the season, but we know it’s just the beginning. Winning the first two games gives us some momentum, but it’s important we stay grounded and keep our focus.
“Newcastle Knights will be another tough challenge, and we can’t take anything for granted. The team is working hard, and we’re aiming to build on what we’ve done so far, but it’s all about staying consistent and approaching every game with the same mindset.”
Captain Blayne Freckleton echoed Billy’s thoughts and noted his pleasure with last weekend’s performance.
“Last weekend’s win over Bradford was our best performance so far, and you could really see the improvement in our team cohesion. We’re starting to gel more as a unit, which is exciting, but we know it’s only two games into a long season. We’ve got to keep building on that and stay focused on the work ahead. Newcastle will be another big test for us, and we’re ready to keep pushing ourselves to get better every game.”
There are a limited number of tickets available for the game HERE.
