KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand Breakers might have hit a bump, but a prized top-two finish in the Australian National Basketball League regular season remains within their grasp.
The Breakers host leaders South Dragons in Auckland tomorrow night, having dropped five of their past six matches.
However, for star point guard C J Bruton, those results, including the two defeats over the past week to the competition's form team, defending champions the Melbourne Tigers, are history.
"We came back from those two losses against Melbourne feeling the games are gone," he said.
"We've moved on. We know the playoffs are just around the corner and we just want to keep improving. We want to have the momentum going at the right time."
The Breakers' disappointing run since the start of 2009 has dropped them to third on the table.
But the Dragons have also seen their momentum stall with just one win in four matches.
A hometown result at the North Shore Events Centre would put the Breakers just one victory behind both the Dragons and the Tigers, with four matches to go.
The top two clubs at the end of the regular season get a bye in the first round of the playoffs, which means they go straight into the semifinals where they also have home court advantage.
"I said to the group that, even with the struggles we've had, there's been a lot of positives - for myself coming back, but also for the group in the way they've been playing week-in week-out," Bruton said.
"We just have to find a way to get over the hump. Once you do that, we'll be fine."
Bruton was out for three weeks over Christmas and New Year with an ankle injury.
He made his return in the thriller against the Dragons 2-1/2 weeks ago, in which the Breakers were edged out 115-112 in overtime.
In a grandstand finish in Melbourne, Bruton levelled the scores 112-112 with 34 seconds left in the extra period, but opposition guard Rhys Carter responded with a three-pointer to decide the contest.
Last Saturday, again in Melbourne, Bruton grabbed 29 points in a 96-89 defeat to the Tigers.
"It's a good sign and it's at the back of the mind that I can do it," he said of what was season-high points tally for him.
Despite the achievement, the Australian Olympian said his ankle was still a couple weeks away from being 100 per cent.
Having had time on the sidelines, he was also continuing to work on getting "in the groove" again with his team-mates on court.
"Before, I knew what was going on exactly, where we were going, what we were doing," he said.
"Probably over the last couple of games, it starts out that way and then, as the game goes on, I get in a rut. I'm just trying to explore that and get a good feel on what's good and what's not good."
- NZPA
