KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand Breakers broke a run of defeats by the Cairns Taipans with a come-from-behind 93-81 win to consolidate second spot in the Australian National Basketball League.
The Breakers have lost only three times this season - twice to the Taipans this season.
"The team spoke about it, we've lost to these guys twice and we play them four times this year so we really wanted to keep the series alive," coach Andrej Lemanis said.
Powered by 22 points from Kirk Penney and 19 from Oscar Forman - who hit five of seven three-pointers - the Breakers turned around a seven-point halftime deficit to run out comfortable winners in Cairns.
They join South Dragons as the only sides to have 10 or more wins this season, the Taipans are heading the other way after suffering their second straight loss to drop to a 6-7 record.
Penney felt his team had simply underperformed in both their previous match-ups with the Taipans.
"They've been our nemesis a little bit, two of our three losses are [against] Cairns."
"The first thing Dillon [Boucher] said was - 'we've got the monkey off our back'."
Lemanis was pleased with the fighting quality of his side.
"As a group so far we've been able to meet the challenge," he stated.
"We've been in tough situations throughout the season and been able to find a way to get over the line."
A Penney three-pointer on the buzzer saw the two sides go into the last term tied on 67 points apiece, and it was still locked up at 74-74 with just over six minutes remaining.
But it was all the visitors from then on, another Penney three followed by a Tony Ronaldson long bomb seeing the Breakers close out the game with a 19-7 run.
The Breakers conclude their sunshine swing when they take on slumping Townsville tomorrow night, while the Taipans will also hit the road with a trip to Perth this weekend.
Penney has been acknowledged once again by the ANBL by being named its player of the month.
Penney, who this week won his second weekly award of the season, comfortably headed off Melbourne Tigers centre Chris Anstey in voting for the September/October period encompassing rounds one to seven.
In that period he averaged 26.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steal per game.
The former NBA player shot the ball at 49 per cent from the field, a sizzling 37 per cent from beyond the three-point line, and made an impressive 87 per cent of his foul shots.
"I just think it's a product of the team playing so well," Penney said.
"We're a very, very good offensive team and when we get it going, we're tough to stop.
"We've had a lot of close games lately and we've found a way to win them. We want to continue to be able to do that.
"It's great having CJ [Bruton] and [Tony] Ronaldson in the mix. We've just got so many weapons and such a good group of guys."
Lemanis was pipped for the coach of the month award by league-leading South Dragons mentor Brian Goorjian.
Voting is carried out by ANBL head coaches and members of the media.
- NZPA
