Basketball: Breakers aim for winning momentum

Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Crowned Australian National Basketball League minor premiers with four matches still to play, the Breakers face a tricky few weeks until the finals.

They know they will go into the playoffs as top qualifiers, and with home advantage, irrespective of what happens between now and then.

But while securing the minor premiership is a notable feat, experienced forward Dillon Boucher concedes that maintaining their intensity could be an issue.

"It's going to be hard, the motivational side of things, obviously with four games to go and nothing really counting on the result," he said.

"But we want to go into the playoffs with momentum, so it's important for us to make sure we play really well and carry that over into the finals."

The run home involves a match tonight away to Townsville, who are sure to be fired up as they look to consolidate their own spot in the top four.

With the Crocodiles sitting third on the table, there is a fair chance that the Breakers will come up against them again in the post-season.

So Boucher sees the match as an opportunity for a psychological blow.

"This game is extremely important," he said.

"We want to make sure we're confident we can beat them on their home floor as well as on our own."

The former Tall Black knows what it takes to win a title, having been part of the Brisbane Bullets' successful roster in 2007.

He also knows Townsville will be formidable on their own court.

The Crocodiles have the best home record in the competition this season, having won 10 of their 11 matches at The Swamp, including the last nine in succession.

Boucher said Townsville's home support was a key component of their success there.

"They have very smart fans - they understand when to cheer and when to boo," he said.

"They really get behind their team and support them through and through, so it's always a tough place to play."

However, travelling across the Tasman doesn't hold too many fears for the Breakers, who have already won a club record nine times away from Auckland this season.

Among their three losses on the road was one against Townsville, who cruised to a 96-79 victory on New Year's Eve.

The Breakers gained revenge last week then they pipped the Crocs 66-65 in Auckland with a stiffened defensive effort.

"That's going to be the key now right the way through," Boucher said."It's going to be extremely important to play good defence. If you play good defence, that generally ignites your offence anyway."

Townsville also showed plenty of resolve on defence, but star guard Kirk Penney was still able to extend his run of scoring 20 or more points to seven successive outings.

The league's leading scorer this season with a per-game average of 20.7 points, Penney was this week named player of the month for February, with his average more than 24.

- NZPA