Basketball: Cloud of tragedy over clash

Rhys Carter is impressing off the bench for the Breakers.Photo / PHOTOSPORT

The Breakers will today become the latest Kiwi team tasked with playing in the aftermath of tragedy.

After the Black Caps endured the twin burdens of taking the field following the death of Phillip Hughes and the Peshawar school massacre in Pakistan, the Breakers are set to suit up against Cairns in similarly horrific circumstances.

The North Queensland town was on Friday rocked by the slaying of eight children in a suburban house, leaving basketball the last thing on the minds of the community.

What should have been a blockbuster pre-Christmas clash between two of the best teams in the Australian NBL will now be played in the same uncertain atmosphere recently seen on the cricket fields of the UAE.

The Breakers were yet to hear from the league or the Taipans following Friday night's victory over Townsville, but pledged to support their hosts' wishes regarding this evening's game. But, with a pall undoubtedly cast over proceedings, the Breakers were unsure how they, or their opposition, would react once on the floor.

"You just don't know," said Australian guard Rhys Carter. "It's hard to say how you would react to it. I've never seen anyone have to react to it. I don't know how I would be if that was my town."

Coming only days after the siege in Sydney saw two hostages killed, Carter said it had been a rough week for his home country. "It's just a shock. You don't hear of this sort of stuff for a long time and then two in a week. It just feels so close to home."

If the past few weeks are any indication, the Breakers possess the requisite tools to overcome adversity and produce a professional display on the court. Three straight wins, combined with setbacks this week for the Wildcats (10-5) and Taipans (10-5), have left the Kiwi club (12-4) with the chance to create a small buffer atop the table.

Just like in their championship years, the Breakers seem to enjoy crucial contributions from a different player every week, with Carter the latest to take a turn in the limelight during Friday's victory over Townsville.

The 30-year-old, in his first campaign with the Breakers, scored a season-high 19 points while making five three-pointers, keeping his side within touching distance in an indifferent first half.

"Rhys really gave us those buckets in the second quarter when we were struggling to find something," said coach Dean Vickerman. "He really kept us in the game and was good enough to stretch it once we got going as well."

Carter has provided instant offence off the bench for much of the season, filling the role in which Corey Webster excelled before the Tall Blacks' elevation to the starting five. Able to run the point and play shooting guard, Carter has formed with Webster and Cedric Jackson a formidable triumvirate in the Breakers' backcourt.

"They're sharing the minutes well, each of them can run the point at different times and this is a league where you need multiple people who can play point guard," Vickerman said. "Everyone talked about him being a great team-mate. He's come in and challenged Ced at practice every day and made his life tough and made him better."

Carter has also quickly earned the trust of his coach, with a 43 per cent success rate from deep allowing him to pull the trigger regularly.

"Sometimes he's got a little more of a green light than some other people because he can really break things open," Vickerman said. NZME.