The New Zealand Breakers and Tasmania JackJumpers boarded the final flights out of Auckland on Monday to avoid Cyclone Gabrielle, amid New Zealand’s second state of emergency in less than two weeks.
It comes as the NBL is closely monitoring the unfolding the situation on New Zealand’s North Island ahead of a possible Game 3 semi-final game at Spark Arena on Sunday.
“We’re in constant communication with all stakeholders due to the rapidly changing situation,” an NBL spokesman said.
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The Breakers and JackJumpers will arrive safely in Tasmania on Monday afternoon, but the two clubs experienced a chaotic aftermath to Sunday’s opening semi-final game.
NBL officials worked overtime to ensure the JackJumpers and Breakers could safely depart on the final Qantas flights out of Auckland on early Monday before all flights were cancelled due to the looming storm.
Players and officials from both clubs arrived at Auckland airport around 3.30am for a 6am flight.
The Breakers posted a video of the players leaving the club’s headquarters for the airport at 3.04am on Monday morning.
The post was accompanied with the words: “The players are escaping the cyclone in Auckland before they close the airport and strand us here.”
A spokeswoman for the JackJumpers said there were so issues with the team’s flight from Auckland ahead of Thursday’s Game 2 semi-final clash in Hobart.
“We flew at 6am and left the hotel at 3.30am, which was always the plan and they’re on a flight from Sydney to Hobart now.
“We were completely unaffected, thankfully.”
New Zealand’s North Island is bracing for a weather system two to three times larger than the entire country.
Two weeks ago, the storm swamped Auckland and killed four people.
The second system has forced airlines to cancel dozens of flights while multiple schools and universities have been forced to close their doors.
The Breakers are in a strong position after recording a comfortable 88-68 Game 1 win over the JackJumpers on Sunday.
The semi-final shifts to MyState Bank Arena on Thursday, where Tasmania will be favoured to level the series at 1-all.
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