Basketball: Penney expected to play in decider

Kirk Penney. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand Breakers guard Kirk Penney sat out an intense training session today as a precaution ahead of Friday's NBL decider against the Cairns Taipans.

Penney left the court during the session with a back issue, while swingman Tom Abercrombie sat out part of it with bruising to a heel.

Both are expected to play, with club physio Anousith Bouaaphone saying they were rested as a precaution.

"Typically at the end of the season, there are a few niggles here and there," he said.

"It's just trying to freshen these guys up."

Bouaaphone said Penney had had a minor back spasm.

"He's had a couple of episodes of it in the past and we've managed it quite well and it's just one of those instances," he said.

"Basically, it's a precautionary rest to make sure he's 100 percent on Friday."

More energy and more desperation will be among messages the Breakers will carry with them into Friday night.

Coach Andrej Lemanis said the Breakers were determined to get in a good hit-out after the scheduling and travel meant they couldn't fit one in during the four-day break between game one and game two.

The Breakers and the Cairns Taipans are tied 1-1 after the North Queenslanders pulled off a 85-81 double-overtime victory at home on Sunday to send the final into one last winner-take-all encounter.

Lemanis today called on the Breakers to maintain their intensity throughout a contest that will be played in front of a sell-out crowd at the North Shore Events Centre.

"The energy that we gave it wasn't acceptable," he said of the defeat in Cairns.

"In game two, we didn't play with the desperation of a finals game. We were trying to cruise through a little bit and then try to win it at the end. We need to play desperate for 40 minutes."

The Taipans were able to hold Penney to just 12 points, while another usually productive scorer, centre Gary Wilkinson, managed only eight.

Lemanis said it wasn't a case of Penney and Wilkinson needing to step up more on offence in game three, but of everyone on the floor doing their bit.

"We just need to play with energy and with that comes fluidity on offence," he said.

"When it flows better, everybody gets better looks and better touches and the scoring becomes much more free-flowing as a result.

"Everyone needs to do their part within the offence to make it work. It's not just the guys shooting it. It's everything that leads up to it."

For all the disappointment of coming so close to lifting the title at the weekend, Lemanis said the Breakers had put that game behind them.

"We did that through the video session yesterday," he said.

"We put that to bed and we can embrace the opportunity we have here."

- NZPA