Breakers up for mission near-impossible

The ANBL finals will be the first without home advantage for the NZ team, Marc Hinton writes.

The Breakers have had so much success in recent years it’s easy to forget they have never won an NBL playoff series when they haven’t held home court advantage.

Now, that’s exactly the challenge as they look to flip not just the form book, but the history one on its head in a bestof-three grand final series against the Cairns Taipans starting Friday night in North Queensland.

When the Breakers won their three straight championships between 2010-13, they were minor premiers each time, so always had the safety net of home court advantage.

And they needed it. In their first two title runs, all four of their playoff series

AT A GLANCE

(tipoff time NZ):

Cairns Taipans v NZ Breakers, Cairns Convention Centre, Friday March 6, 10.30pm

Breakers v Taipans, North Shore Events Centre, Sunday March 8, 3pm

Taipans v Breakers (if req), Cairns Convention Centre, Friday March 13, tba. went to a deciding third game on their home court, and it was only on the last leg of their threepeat that they perfected the art of closing out in two.

The last – and only – time the Breakers played a best-of-three series without home advantage, they were swept 2-0 by the Melbourne Tigers in 2008-09.

The numbers also reaffirm that the Breakers are up against it as they face winning at least once at the Cairns Convention Centre to annex a fourth championship in five years.

Of the last 31 best-of-three series in this league, the team with home court has won 30 of them. This season the Taipans won three of their four matchups against the Breakers, including both in Auckland.

It’s a reflection, then, of how far the Breakers have lifted their levels for the playoffs that the TAB has the Taipans at only $1.80 favourites for the title, and the Breakers at $1.95.

The Breakers will not be fazed by history’s shadow. In fact, they’ll relish the challenge of bucking a firm trend.

Mika Vukona, Tom Abercrombie, Corey Webster, Alex Pledger and Cedric Jackson (for the last two) were foundation stones of the threepeat. They understand what’s required and how to go about it.

The well-travelled Rhys Carter has also won a championship with the South Dragons, Ekene Ibekwe has played at world championship and Olympic level, and the savvy Tai Wesley has no shortage of big-game experience.

That’s how the Breakers were able to dominate an Adelaide 36ers side that had won 10 straight heading into their semifinal matchup; and why they give themselves every chance to overcome the travel factor in the grand final.

‘‘Playoff basketball is a different animal,’’ said Abercrombie. ‘‘We’ve got guys who have been there and done it before, and knew we had to take things to another level.

‘‘The way we’ve been able to step up you can tell the guys are extremely hungry and wanted to get back to that big stage. We’re very excited to compete for another championship.’’

Cairns, for their part, are just rapt they won’t have to come more than once to New Zealand. Coach Aaron Fearne recalls only too well the 2010-11 grand final when the Taipans were well beaten in both games at the N-Sec.

‘‘We had to play on that court twice and you felt like the whole country was really against you – that New Zealand was against us.

‘‘It was really emotional and really physical – just full-on,’’ he said after Sunday night’s victory in Perth to complete a 2-0 sweep of the defending champions.

‘‘We feel like we’ve played New Zealand pretty well, but it’s the finals, they’re talented as, and obviously they played outstanding against Adelaide so they’ll be full of confidence.’’

Taipans veteran forward Alex Loughton, their sole survivor from 2010-11, was especially pleased to be facing the Breakers again.

‘‘They look really good,’’ he said. ‘‘Cedric is the spearhead of their group and he feeds everyone and everyone feeds off Cedric. They don’t have stretch bigs, and that’s been the downfall for them but they do have a lot of presence under the hoop and can get you that way.

‘‘It’s going to be an interesting series, and certainly there are a lot of players we played against four years ago which makes me happy.’’