Pressure’s on Melbourne
"They do seem to bring the best out in us, and hopefully they do it again this week." Tom Abercrombie
All the pressure will be on Dean Vickerman’s stacked Melbourne United outfit when they host the Kirk Penney-less Breakers tonight in the first of a weekend back-to-back set to decide the ANBL’S minor premiership.
At 17-7 top-of-the-table Melbourne are in the box seat heading into the final two rounds of the regular season, with the top four a done deal.
They will be joined by the Breakers (15-9), Adelaide 36ers (16-10) and Perth Wildcats (15-10) in the semifinals that follow the February Fiba international window, with just final finishing order, and home advantage, to be decided.
Former Breakers coach Vickerman’s men are so close to the No 1 overall seed they can touch it. A sweep of their Friday (home), Sunday (away) Breakers double would seal it, and a split would go mighty close to the same.
But a continuation of the Breakers playing kryptonite to the Melbourne United supermen really would open things up for a grandstand finish.
The numbers certainly paint two contrasting pictures as the Breakers head to Hisense Arena (9.30pm NZT start) without their veteran shooting guard Penney who will miss a second straight game while he nurses a sore calf.
Melbourne are in sizzling form, having won 11 of their last 12 games to shake off the injury loss of star import Casey Prather (said to be on the verge of a return) and shorter-term defections of big men David Andersen and Majok Majok in the most emphatic fashion.
Anyone else but the Breakers and you would suggest at least a split of the weekend double was a fait accompli.
But, for some reason, Melbourne, with all that money, talent, and hype, have been the Breakers’ bunnies since they came into being in 2014.
They have never won in Auckland in eight attempts, with the Breakers taking the honours in 10 of their last 11 matchups overall, including both encounters, away and home, this season.
‘‘They do seem to bring the best out in us, and hopefully they do it again this week,’’ said Breakers small forward Tom Abercrombie. ‘‘It’s a team that’s put up on a pedestal by the NBL, and we look forward to that challenge of trying to knock them off. It’s always something we get up for. We certainly have a lot of confidence going in.’’
Abercrombie laughs off a suggestion it’s Melbourne’s status as the league’s antibreakers – all style, no substance (or titles) – that brings out the best in the Kiwi club. But he does concede, ‘‘there’s no shortage of fuel for the fire when you go up against them’’.
Like all good rivalries, there’s some history too. Back in 2015-16 Melbourne pinched an 87-86 home victory over the Breakers that was contentious, to say the least, with Chris Goulding drawing a dodgy late foul on Corey Webster.
‘‘I’d almost forgotten about that one,’’ added Abercrombie. ‘‘There’s always a little tipping point that adds spice to a matchup, and that was a bit of a sour point that spurred us on each time we played them.’’