Basketball: Penney eases closer to Breakers return

There will be plenty of anxious eyes on Kirk Penney this week at Breakers training as he nears an NBL return.

If he comes through the three scheduled sessions unscathed, the reigning MVP will suit up against the Taipans on Thursday, ending a run of nine matches out with a back injury.

While it was still a case of wait-and-see, coach Andrej Lemanis said the prognosis for his injured star was looking much more positive.

"The reports are good and he is going to try to practise [today] with us," Lemanis said.

"Certainly the progression has been good and has been more cautious this time. The medical staff are pretty confident they've got him right."

Penney should rejoin a side that defeated the Crocodiles in Townsville on Friday night to record their first road victory but he is unlikely to slot straight back into the starting line-up.

The Breakers have gone 5-4 without Penney and Lemanis is keen to limit any disruption to a team that has already had to adapt to the departure of import Awvee Storey and the recruitment of John Rillie.

"Until he gets through it is kind of hard to say but if he practises all week and looks like Kirk then, bugger it, he'll [start]," Lemanis said.

"But in my heart I don't feel like that is going to be the case. I feel like he is going to have to ease his way back in, but just to have him with us will be great. Any minutes he can give us will be fantastic."

The competition ladder is still extremely congested, with seven of the eight teams separated by just a single win and only Townsville (four) having won more than one game on the road.

The 6-6 Breakers are now fifth, behind the Gold Coast Blaze on percentage.

Their win in Townsville saw them become the second-last team to post a road win, with Cairns notching their first away success in Melbourne 24 hours later.

The Breakers' next three games are at home on consecutive Thursday nights, but Friday's win, when they overcame a 16-point first quarter deficit, was still an important psychological hurdle to clear.

"From a confidence point of view it will help," Lemanis said. "We've kind-of broken the duck, I guess, and that always helps. Although you don't like to talk about it, I guess there is a bit of anxiousness when you haven't won on the road and that is now out of our system."