KEY POINTS:
The Breakers are talking up their chances ahead of tonight's ANBL quarter-final in Cairns but history suggests they'll struggle after conceding home advantage.
Both the Taipans and the Breakers ended the regular season 16-14 but the Taipans were awarded the home playoff after taking the season split 2-1. Just four of 16 sudden death playoff matches have been won by the away team, while the Breakers' road record of 5-10 doesn't inspire much confidence either.
This season's matches between the sides, however, have bucked the trend, with all three won by the away team.
The Taipans squeaked past the Kirk Penney-less Breakers in round one but the Breakers hit back with a 20-point victory in Cairns in round nine. Just a week later the Taipans, led by massive centre Nathan Jawai, hammered the injury-hit Breakers 128-103 back in Auckland.
The Breakers, however, aren't dwelling on the past.
"Once playoffs start, regular season doesn't count for anything," foundation point guard Paul Henare said.
"We're nil-all in the playoffs and we have to win one game, that's all we're focused on."
The Breakers have added new imports Orien Greene and Derrick Alston since that round 10 defeat.
Greene said he and Alston, who will likely be tasked with containing Jawai, have been studying video of their opponents.
"We're going to be ready," Greene said.
"Not knowing them will be challenging but it's been like that for me and Derrick the whole time we've been here.
"It's also tough with the travel but you play the cards dealt to you. We've worked real hard to get here so were gonna try and make some noise."
Greene has ample playoff experience at college level, but this is the first post-season game of a professional career that includes 128 NBA matches.
"Defence is the key. We're going to go hard out on defence and be real physical. It's backs to the wall. You go hard or you go home."
Coach Andrej Lemanis said the team's final regular season match in Perth last Saturday was great preparation despite the 98-85 loss.
"It doesn't get more hostile than Perth," Lemanis said.
"We did a good job of focusing on what we had to do in that environment and the crowd didn't affect us at all.
"When all you have is each other you get an us versus the world mentality. You can derive strength from that. And, to be honest, it's good fun."
While the Breakers head into the match on the back of successive defeats by Sydney and Perth, Cairns have been in sparkling form. They ended the season with a 21-point win over Wollongong and a 20-point win over Townsville - the first time the club has won consecutive games by at least 20 points.
The Taipans will be without Aaron Grabau and possibly influential Boomer Darnell Mee, who scored a game-high 30 points the last time the teams met in November.
Tony Ronaldson (79 games) and Oscar Forman (3 games) are the only Breakers with NBL post-season experience, but Lemanis said Penney, Phill Jones and Alston had plenty of big-game experience.
"Those guys have been part of championship-winning teams right around the world and several others have Olympic or World Championship experience," Lemanis said.
"I'm sure we'll make good decisions. We're confident of going into Cairns and doing well."
The winner of tonight's clash will meet the defending champion Bullets in Brisbane on Saturday night. That second sudden-death battle will determine who faces the Melbourne Tigers in a best of three semifinal series.
CAIRNS TAIPANS V NZ BREAKERS
Cairns Convention Centre. Tip off: 9.30pm
Winner to travel to Brisbane on Saturday to play the Bullets. Loser is eliminated.
Head to head: Taipans 11, Breakers 5
In Cairns: Taipans 5, Breakers 2
New Zealand playoff history:
Debut finals game in 5th NBL season
Cairns playoff history:
Played 10 for 5 wins and 5 losses (3-2 at home, 2-3 away)
2008 meetings:
Round 1: Taipans 95 Breakers 90, Auckland
Round 9: Breakers 107 Taipans 87, Cairns
Round 10: Taipans 128 Breakers 103, Auckland
