The Breakers (11-4) will be as encouraged by today's win as they were with the similarly hard-fought victory over Perth on Thursday, seeing off a couple of tough teams with playoff ambitions of their own.
"It was a real test for us and a grind-out win," Henare said. "It's good to go through that process at some stage in the season and just see how you fare.
"To grind out a win under those tough circumstances, we're extremely happy with the boys."
Corey Webster helped to ensure the big weekend ended with back-to-back wins, scoring the last four points of the game from the foul line to prevent any attempted fightback from the hosts. The shooting guard finished with a team-high 19 points while Cedric Jackson produced a typically all-action display to record 18 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals.
Tom Abercrombie (10), Tai Wesley (10) and Vukona (11) saw the Breakers put five players in double figures, with the milestone man also pulling in five boards and dishing out three assists.
"It's just another milestone for him to check off and I'm sure there's going to be many, many more for him," Henare said of the mark. "What better way for us, as a team, to celebrate that milestone with him than by putting in a good performance and playing well and coming up with a big win."
Melbourne started like they wanted to spoil Vukona's occasion, jumping out to an early lead as the Breakers took some time to find their offensive rhythm. With the scores locked at 23 after the first, the two teams spent the second taking turns to enjoy ascendancy, with the home side heading to the major break in front by four.
The Breakers were ahead by two heading into the fourth and, on the back of an 11-0, their lead swelled to double digits. But six points in 30 seconds saw Melbourne back in front with three minutes remaining, before the Breakers' defence sealed proceedings with a couple of crucial stops.
Melbourne 87 (Dennis 24, Kickert 20, McRae 13)
Breakers 92 (Webster 19, Jackson 18, Vukona 11)
HT: 45-41
