It is difficult not to smile when contemplating the timing of the Breakers' fourth championship.

Once the celebrations wind down, the newly-crowned champs will begin building a roster ready to mount a title defence next season.

Game tied, 1.2 seconds on the clock, the NBL basketball championship on the line - moments don't come much bigger than what the Breakers faced yesterday.

The Breakers reinforced their reputation as the premier club side in New Zealand sport, yesterday winning a fourth Australian NBL title in the past five seasons.

Walking into the Breakers' practice gym every day this season, Ekene Ibekwe was struck by one thing.

The New Zealand Breakers today added the latest chapter to a glittering legacy in the building where it all began.

If the Breakers win a ninth-straight playoff game today, they can suddenly stake a claim as the second-most successful side in Australian NBL history.

The Breakers last night wrote the latest chapter in an ever-increasing book of playoff successes, continuing a seemingly unstoppably tear with a 15-point win over Cairns in game one of the grand final series.

The grand final series kicking off tonight in Cairns marks the second straight year the Breakers have concluded their campaign with a clash against the Taipans.

Two crushing wins against one of the hottest teams in the history of the competition - who saw that coming?

The New Zealand Breakers last night continued to resemble the side the dispatched every challenger for three straight seasons, sweeping their semifinal series against Adelaide to advance to the grand final.

The Breakers crushed Adelaide to put one foot in the grand final.

The Breakers tonight made a triumphant return to the post-season at Vector Arena, crushing Adelaide in the first game of their semifinal series to put one foot in the grand final.

The Breakers' last playoff appearance started with the ball in Cedric Jackson's hands and ended with a ring on his finger.

The New Zealand Breakers have made a splash in the prestigious New York Times.

One number consistently cropped up this week at Breakers training after Cedric Jackson's miraculous game-winning shot against Perth.

This was a playoff test for the New Zealand Breakers and it took a moment of magic from Cedric Jackson to push them past the Perth Wildcats.

There were plenty of positives to emerge from the Breakers' 93-88 Australian NBL loss to Adelaide in Auckland but Tom Abercrombie cut through the noise to find the cold truth.

Adelaide tonight won their eighth straight game in thrilling fashion at Vector Arena, emerging on top of a Breakers side who did little wrong.

The Breakers are turning inward in a bid to halt the hottest team in the Australian NBL.

The Breakers will need to topple the competition's form side if they wish to have any hope of claiming top spot before the playoffs.

If the Breakers are forced to hit the road in next month's grand finals, they will look back and rue last night's loss in Townsville.

A couple of pieces of the puzzle remain to be arranged before the Breakers begin their playoff campaign.

Past history will warn the Breakers of the danger posed by Perth if the sides meet in next month's semifinals.