Breakers eye small steps to bigger goal
They all have different ways of saying it, but the New Zealand Breakers are united on one key thing as a second-place finish in Australia’s National Basketball League lies within their grasp.
Yes, the big goal is highly achievable, but not a soul at the Breakers, who sealed a first playoff spot in five seasons with last Saturday’s victory over Melbourne United, figures on that coming without some vital attention to the little things now required over the next three days as the Kiwi club puts the finishing touches on its regular season programme.
The 16-10 Breakers run out at the Illawarra Hawks tonight (8.30pm tip
NZT) and then the Brisbane Bullets (Saturday 10pm) to wrap up the regular season. Win both, against two teams well out of the post-season picture, and they will finish second. Win one, and they could still come in runnerup if the 17-10 Cairns Taipans lose their tough finale at the Perth Wildcats tomorrow.
The Breakers own any tiebreak against the Snakes – the only team who can pip them for the allimportant second spot – because of their superior points percentage.
So, they’re in the box seat, for sure. Yet they need only cast their minds back a couple of weeks, when they dropped a home game to the lowly Hawks 78-76, for a reminder that in this league anything is possible.
There was general recognition of both what’s at stake (second heads straight to the best-of-three semifinals with home advantage; third hits the tightrope of the playin tournament) and what’s required from the Breakers in Wollongong.
‘‘We’ve worked very hard to be in this situation,’’ said coach Mody Maor of a goal that’s been there since day one. ‘‘As an athlete this is what you want – your destiny is in your own hands.’’
He also made it clear the small steps towards the big goal were all that were important now.
‘‘It’s the only thing in a basketball player and a basketball coach’s life – the next possession. All the rest is noise. That’s 100% the way we need to address this. It’s not about winning two, it’s about winning the next two
minutes, and then the next two after that.’’
They do. Starting point guard Will McDowell-White and fit-again leading scorer Barry Brown Jr made that clear pre-departure.
‘‘Its all in our hands – that’s the best thing about it,’’ said McDowell-White. ‘‘It’s exciting after what we’ve been through the last few years.
‘‘It’s easy to think ahead, look at where they are on the ladder and think it’s going to be an easy win. But, as we know, nothing is easy in this league. It’s just about keeping our heads and keeping our goal inside and knowing what we want to achieve is right there.’’
Brown, the third leading scorer in the league (among active players) and finalist for best sixth man, said the Hawks were all he was thinking about right now. (He missed that home defeat while he was dealing with a groin injury.)
‘‘Looking forward can hinder your focus,’’ he said. ‘‘We need to continue to take it one day at a time.
‘‘It’s not even Illawarra ... tomorrow’s practice needs to be important, then Illawarra, and then we go from there
‘‘Figuring out where we need to be at each and every day, staying present, staying attentive and not getting bored with the process is most important right now.
‘‘We all know what’s at stake, and we’re going to come in with that same fire, passion and aggressiveness we’ve come with all season, and continue to do what we do.
‘‘No one has to do anything special, no one has to go crazy. We just have to play Breakers basketball and Breakers defence, and do what we do.’’
Maor knows exactly what they are on the precipice of.
‘‘This place is special, it has a special history, and it represents something special in basketball. To have any kind of responsibility in maintaining or rebuilding the legacy this place has is a responsibility I welcome.’’