KEY POINTS:
Breakers 103
Taipans 69
They needed a win and, finally, they got it.
The Breakers last night breathed new life into a season that had been asphyxiating, smashing the Taipans out of sight to lock up third place on the ANBL ladder and set up a home quarter-final next Thursday night, almost certainly against the Adelaide 36ers.
In October the Breakers hammered the 36ers 118-80 in what was a club record victory.
But that was a long time ago.
Last night's equally emphatic win was just the Breakers' second in 10 matches. After a run of injuries to key players and an unforgiving schedule, things finally went the New Zealand club's way. With the team running out of excuses - and time - it needed to.
While he operated on limited duties, star player Kirk Penney still top-scored with 19 points and looked over the injury and illness that saw him left out of last weekend's double-header of losses across the Tasman. CJ Bruton (11 points), the team's other most vital cog, also looked back up to full speed following the high ankle sprain that proved the start of the team's extended decline.
With Rick Rickert reproducing the early season form that had been absent recently and Tony Ronaldson also hitting his straps, it appears the Breakers might have rediscovered their mojo just at the right time.
If there was a caveat on such a convincing display, it was that the Taipans were a team with nothing to play for, stripped of their coach and imports mid-season.
But the Breakers certainly weren't guilty of showing any compassion or lethargy.
This was a ruthless display that suggested title hopes that had looked less realistic with each passing defeat might not be entirely frivolous.
Heavyweight boxer David Tua, who was among the crowd at the North Shore Events Centre, would have approved as the Breakers at last showed the sort of fight that had been lacking at times during their slump. Penney gave away two early fouls and Ronaldson was called for a hard pick that involved plenty of forearm.
The infringements helped put the visitors in the bonus early but they also served as a signal of intent.
With Penney sitting for much the quarter, most of the Breakers' offence came from Ronaldson and Rickert. Both of the big men were effective in the paint as they combined for 10 of the Breakers' first 11 points.
Thomas Abercrombie's growing stature was highlighted when he made a rare first quarter appearance and the local product didn't disappoint, producing an athletic block on Dwayne Vale with his first touch and ending the quarter with a soaring lay-up on the buzzer.
A 23-17 first-quarter lead quickly became 39-17 as Penney sparked a 16-0 run. From there it was the Breakers' game to lose, something that never looked remotely likely. By mid-way through the third quarter the margin was already in the 30s.
With the playoffs looming, the Breakers might have preferred a tougher contest.
They should get that in Sydney tomorrow against the Spirit in their final game of the regular season.
A "Save the Taipans" bid took the first step towards doing just that by buying the Cairns licence.
Backed by almost 150 pledges of A$5000 ($6339) each for their bid, Cairns Basketball successfully made an offer to Taipans' liquidator KPMG.
The sale remains subject to the Taipans' acceptance in next season's new-look NBL.
