Basketball: Port dispute silences Breakers game

Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis yells at the team from courtside while fans cheer them on with thundersticks. Photo / Getty Images

The Auckland port dispute is hitting courtside.

The strike has seen a shipment of thunder sticks destined for the Breakers diverted to Wellington, where they're in the queue to get on a train bound for Auckland.

The Breakers play the Townsville Crocs at Vector Arena on Friday night in the first of the ANBL finals.

Breakers media manager Andrew Dewhurst says if the container doesn't get loaded on to that train today, the thunder sticks won't arrive in Auckland in time.

"Home advantage, we've got 9,500 people coming but it's a bit of a disaster, we've had to put out not an SOS but and SOTS, save our thunder sticks."

Mr Dewhurst says it's very unfortunate the thunder sticks have been caught up in industrial action.