KEY POINTS:
The Breakers will travel almost 16,000km in the next 10 days on a four-game trip coach Andrej Lemanis hopes will see his team solidify its position.
A cohesive fourth quarter on Thursday night against the Cairns Taipans saw the Breakers push to a 113-106 win to remain in the crucial final playoff spot.
The performance left Lemanis enthusing about his side's new found understanding of how to win and he wants to see further evidence the winning culture is innate in Perth today, then in Singapore on Wednesday.
The Breakers have beaten the league's two leading clubs, the Tigers and Bullets, this season but have not won more than two in a row.
"We understand this trip is an important stretch," said the Australian, "and it's a real opportunity to establish ourselves on the ladder. If we can come back on that 500 mark, we can hopefully push further up the ladder.
"We are going to Perth on the back of a good win and they are coming in after a few losses and their confidence a bit down. What I want to see is a focus on our processes. We need to have that intensity on defence and keep moving the ball around. We did that against the Taipans and they didn't have the answers.
"We accept that you can't bring it every night on offence. Some nights you just don't shoot the ball and that's the way it is. But defence is about attitude and we can keep the intensity every time we play. That has faded in and out a bit this season and this road trip will be a real test for us."
It's too early to be calling the next four games season-defining but there is no question a couple of wins supplemented with two other quality performances will leave the Breakers well-placed to sustain a challenge.
Unlike recent years, the Breakers appear to have a squad that contains the individual talent and experience necessary to compete with the best.
In Carlos Powell, they have arguably the most prolific talent in the league. The American has been sensational since his late arrival and brought out the best in giant centre Ben Pepper, who has relished the extra space he is being afforded, as opponents focus on Powell.
On the few nights Powell hasn't fired, Brian Wethers has stepped up and the offensive threat posed by the Breakers is more potent than ever.
Eighth place is perhaps not a true reflection of their ability, as Lemanis says they were hampered early season by the late return of their Tall Blacks from the world championships and a lack of pre-season competition.
"I didn't think we were ready in those early games," says Lemanis. "We had not established our identity and we were a bit behind in our processes. We have a lot of talent in this group but sport is an amazingly mental game. The best teams deliver consistency of performance. They make sure that when they play well, they are 10 out of 10 and when they don't, they are still eight out of 10 rather five out of 10. That's what we are aiming for."
Road Trip
The Breakers' fixtures:
December 10: vs Wildcats
December 13: vs Slingers
December 16: vs Dragons
December 17: vs Tigers
