New Zealand Breakers forward Dillon Boucher is hoping he can't hear his own thoughts in tonight's first Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) final match on Auckland's North Shore.
The Breakers take on the Cairns Taipans in game one of a best-of-three series at the North Shore Events Centre tonight, aiming
to become the first New Zealand team to win a major Australian professional team sports competition.
The Breakers were the top team during the regular season but needed to come from a game down to beat the Perth Wildcats 99-83 a week ago to reach tonight's final, and Boucher says the role a sellout crowd played can't be underestimated.
"I've never ever been involved in a Breakers game that's been that noisy. It was hard to hear yourself think out there, and that's exactly as it should be," Boucher said.
"That's why they talk about home court advantage, how tough it is, and New Zealand's one of the tougher places to play because of our crowd. If they can make as much noise as they did in game three it's going to be a big factor in the game."
Boucher is one of a number of the Breakers team that has ANBL finals experience, winning with Brisbane in 2007 alongside fellow current Breaker CJ Bruton, and he thinks that experience can help the Breakers tonight.
"Possibly because I've been there before it does help a little bit to calm the nerves," he said.
"But everyone knows what it's going to take to win the series, and I think as long as we all go out there and concentrate on doing what we do well, then the results will go in our favour."
Despite it not being his first finals appearance, Boucher said winning with the Breakers would be more important to him than the title with Brisbane.
"Although the Breakers are a club team, we still represent New Zealand and we're still really proud to represent New Zealand. To do it in an Australian competition would be a big achievement," he said.
"The Taipans are going to be tough - they've got some real talents on their team and they play very well as a team and they're very good defensively. What we need to do is stick to our game plan, stick to what we do well and execute our plays and we'll be alright."
- NZPA
