Record shot a Cat-fight away

IT’S the swagger versus the stagger as the Breakers head to Perth this week for the second instalment of the league’s best rivalry.

Last year’s grand finalists will meet for the second time this season late Thursday night (NZ time) in a clash with some pretty serious repercussions.

The Breakers need just one more victory to equal their record win streak of eight, and have the opportunity to establish a three-game buffer over the Wildcats, who are 3-3 after losing their last three on the bounce.

The Cats, who have fallen to the Wollongong Hawks and Adelaide 36ers twice over the last three rounds, have slipped badly after storming to three straight road wins to begin the season, including a 93-72 opening night touchup of the Breakers.

‘‘We got embarrassed a bit that first game,’’ said Breakers centre Alex Pledger. ‘‘We’re playing in their new arena, in front of 12,000 people who don’t like us very much. It’s going to be an exciting game and a great challenge.’’

But it’s a game Andrej Lemanis refused to tag as having extra significance.

‘‘Nah,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s one of those ones they’ll be fired up for, we’ll be fired up for, and it should be a great game. We feel good. We’re playing well, and we’ve been playing better each week. There’s no better time to go in and just play well.’’