Basketball: Breakers' injury cloud lifts in time for Taipans tussle

Mika Vukona. Photo / Getty Images

After a week of medical mishaps the Breakers' injury woes have eased just at the right time.

All five players who had been struggling for fitness ahead of the grand final rematch with the Taipans in Cairns trained fully yesterday and will suit up tomorrow.

"I'm smiling a lot more now than I was on Thursday," coach Andrej Lemanis said.

Most concern centred on Mika Vukona, who suffered an ankle strain in training on Thursday. However Vukona's capacity for quick healing was again to the fore, with the power forward showing no sign of any discomfort during a torrid training session yesterday.

"It was a slight strain, just a tweak," Vukona said. "It feels good and if it is good to run on it should be good to play on."

Vukona's recovery conjures memories of his remarkable playoff comeback earlier in the year, when he defied medical advice to help the Breakers pull off a crucial game-two win over Perth in the semifinal series.

Just three days after suffering a knee strain that forced him out of game one and left him barely able to walk, Vukona destroyed the Wildcats on boards, pulling in 10 rebounds in a stunning road victory.

"I think anyone would have done that wouldn't they?" he said. The general consensus is that, no, they wouldn't.

Their backs aren't as firmly pressed to the wall as they were on that occasion but Vukona knows another bounceback is needed after last week's ugly loss to nemesis club Wollongong.

"It was frustrating how we lost but at the same time the guys are positive about where we are heading," Vukona said. "We felt we lost that game rather than [Wollongong] won it."

The level of frustration in the Breakers camp was obvious during a scrimmage at yesterday's training session, and many of the injuries picked up this week were the result of players going at it in training. Gary Wilkinson (groin), Daryl Corletto (shoulder) and Vukona all picked up niggles, while Alex Pledger suffered a stomach complaint and Cedric Jackson nursed his sore ankle.

By yesterday, however, only CJ Bruton was sitting out training and that was purely a matter of the veteran guard managing the workload on his knees.

"It was good to get everyone back on the floor," Lemanis said. "It seems to be coming together at the right time.

With fellow pace-setters Perth and Melbourne also slipping up last week the Breakers head into the round still atop the ANBL ladder.