Breakers cruise past Hawks to open NBL campaign

New Zealand's three-headed monster put on a show as the Breakers kicked off their NBL season with a clinical 95-81 victory over the Illawarra Hawks.

Expected to be one of the competition's improvers, NZ were barely troubled in their wire-to-wire win at Auckland's Spark Arena on Sunday.

Big Sam Mennenga ruled the paint, posting 27 points and eight rebounds, prized off-season recruit Dejan Vasiljevic scored 24 points - including 6-of-10 three-pointers - and captain Parker Jackson-Cartwright paired 23 points with 13 assists.

Will Hickey was Illawarra's best performer with 18 points and nine boards, while skipper Tyler Harvey added 14 off the bench.

Mennenga was a dominant force in the opening period, scoring 12 points - highlighted by a vicious left-handed slam in which he blew past Todd Blanchfield and put Mason Peatling on a poster - to give the Breakers a 28-24 quarter-time lead.

Vasiljevic, in his maiden outing in NZ colours after being surprisingly released by the Adelaide 36ers after last season, swished back-to-back triples late in the second term.

And superstar Jackson-Cartwright already had eight assists by halftime, as the Breakers went in without a turnover across the first two quarters.

Meanwhile, Mennenga continued to prove a menace, taking his personal tally to 21 at halftime to give NZ a 54-47 cushion.

Vasiljevic started the third term by splashing his fourth and fifth treys plus a jumper from the corner for an individual 8-0 run as the Breakers' buffer ballooned to 62-47.

Reuben Te Rangi then added eight straight Breaker points, before Jackson-Cartwright's stepback deuce on the three-quarter-time bell gave the home side firm control, up 76-61.

Jackson-Cartwright controlled proceedings down the stretch, swiftly casting aside any prospect of a last-ditch Illawarra fightback.