Breakers: Blast from the Breakers' past

Corey Webster's form gives the Breakers reason for confidence. Photo / Getty Images

I’ll take it as a little personal battle, and I’m going to have to show him why I’m a starter now.

Melbourne United come to Vector Arena in record-breaking scoring form but the Breakers' offensive threat will be playing with a point to prove.

Corey Webster has achieved a lot in the past six months, marrying a week ago after an off season in which he enhanced his reputation at the World Cup and returned to the Breakers as the starting shooting guard.

His consistent scoring has helped his side start the season with a 7-3 record and boosts the home side's confidence of overturning an earlier loss to Melbourne when the teams meet tonight.

But the visitors will not be pushovers, not after what they did to Adelaide last week. Melbourne shot an Australian NBL-record 22 three-pointers in the 39-point win over the 36ers, making a scarcely-believable 65 per cent of their shots from deep.

Seven players made at least half of their attempts from beyond the arc in the blowout victory, among them Daryl Corletto, the former Breakers favourite who Webster replaced in the starting lineup.

If the Breakers are to counter such an offensive outburst, they will need a handy contribution from Webster, a player with extra incentive to perform against his former teammate.

"I'll take it as a little personal battle, and I'm going to have to show him why I'm a starter now," Webster said. "That's sports - people move around and move to different clubs.

"He's in Melbourne now, so I'm sure he'll be ready for that battle. We know how he plays so we've got to use that to our advantage to try to shut him down."

It seems unlikely that Corletto and company will continue scoring at such a clip tomorrow night but, with three players in the league's top 10 for three-point percentage, Melbourne have been shooting the deep ball well all season.

Their weapons in that area will come as no surprise to the Breakers, and coach Dean Vickerman is counting on a firm offensive plan slowing down the game and preventing Melbourne from thriving in transition.

And once the visitors do get their hands on the ball, Webster believes the Breakers' defence will be able to limit their opportunities.

"We've just got to play good, solid defence," he said. "You've got to get there early when they catch the ball so they can't get any open threes, and that will go a long way to helping us win the game."

So, too, will another typical performance from Webster, who is second in the club (behind Cedric Jackson) with 14.5 points a game.

That mark - with his minutes - is well above his career average of 6.8, but the first-year starter felt his game could yet find another level.

"I think I've been fairly consistent but I still want to bring more - I feel like the role I'm in now I have to," he said. "I've been good, but I think I can still step it up another notch."