The minor premiers disposed of last year’s champions in a heated three game series, After losing game one at home the Breakers clenched up a little and could only hope to face a complacent Wildcats team over in Perth. To their surprise the Wildcats were complacent and Kirk Penney free throw shot the Breakers to a game two victory. Game three saw the Wildcats run out to a quick lead but after making some changes couldn’t quite get it right and could only watch on as the Breaker’s ran away for the first home win of the series and a berth in the grand final.
Cairns did things a little tougher than they were hoping for. Ayinde Ubaka forced game one in overtime with a long range dagger but The Taipans couldn’t hold out. Game two was never in doubt and the Taipans made big plays at the right time to take game three on the road. Cairns could be Austalia’s proudest city at the moment and the Breakers are doing it for New Zealand. Either way the NBL is going to have a first time champion in around a week’s time.
This year we see the highest scoring team in the league going against the lowest scoring team (barring Sydney). Will the Breakers uptempo gunning style of play come the goods or will Cairns drag the Breakers down to their level with a slower grittier style of play?
Cairns want to make this a slow battle and grind it out but that is easier said than done. Outside of Ayinde Ubaka do Cairns have the back court skills to match shooters Kirk Penney, CJ Bruton and Kevin Brasswell?
New Zealand relies on their fast starts and live by the three ball. Game one of the semis showed that they can also die by the three ball. Do they have a backup plan if the long shot isn’t working? When the shots are dropping every Breaker is hitting them but when they are off, they are all a long way off. Can the Breakers frontcourt in Vukona, Boucher and Wilkinson keep their fouls in check to take care of Loughton, Crosswhite, Rychart and Dorsey?
This series is shaping up to be a corker, it’s the tortoise versus the hare, blue versus orange, the team that once wore pink vesus the team that is retiring the jersey of a bloke who averaged 5 points a game in his career. Who have you got?
CBAB’s Keys to the series
This could come down to the battle of the closers, Ubaka versus Brasswell
Will the referees be paying attention to players setting moving screens or holding the man on the screen?
Dorsey has come alive in recent weeks, playing with visually more energy and attacking the rim
Big men with range- Both Wilkinson and Loughton are capable of hitting the long shot
