KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand Breakers are determined to continue raising the bar as the Australian National Basketball League playoffs approach.
The team leave today on their last road trip of the regular season, a challenging journey to Sydney and Perth to play the table-topping Kings and the fourth-placed Wildcats.
The outcome of the two matches will determine the Auckland-based club's final placing and cement their playoffs pathway.
Currently sixth on countback but mathematically able to finish anywhere between fourth and eighth, the Breakers need to maintain their current position to ensure the finals campaign starts at home.
A win against Sydney tomorrow night would greatly enhance those prospects but the Kings have been in royal form, winning 25 of 28 games.
The Breakers have beaten the Kings in Sydney just once in six attempts and have fared even worse in Perth, where they play on Saturday, having dropped all six previous encounters there.
"It's a good challenge," Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis said.
"They're tough places to go in and pick up wins.
"But I couldn't ask for better opposition. It will force us to play at an intensity that will be great preparation for the subsequent playoffs."
The Breakers have won their last four matches and victory over Sydney would see them equal the franchise's best streak of five in 2003-04.
"All year this team has continued to raise the bar and set new standards. We've achieved a lot of firsts," Lemanis said.
He said the Breakers' focus had not changed since they confirmed their presence in the post-season.
"Right now we're trying to win anyway. We'd like to finish fourth because that will stand us in good stead for the post-season.
"If you'd asked at the start of the season I would've said that making the playoffs was enough. Not now.
"There is a level of energy and excitement that keeps building. All the hard work, the pre-season grind, the long hours training, fitness work ... everything is coming to a head with tangible rewards still on the line."
Power forward Derrick Alston, who joined Orien Greene as a replacement import mid-season, said the Breakers were "clicking" at the right time of the season.
"The two new additions have finally got the rhythm of the game, the coaching staff, the players and the referees," Alston said.
"It makes this trip a little less daunting knowing that we've already booked our playoff spot, we're playing pretty well and we've got a fully fit squad with Tony (Ronaldson) back."
Breakers squad: Paul Henare, Orien Greene, Paora Winitana, Phill Jones, Kirk Penney, Oscar Forman, Mika Vukona, Tony Ronaldson, Derrick Alston and Tim Behrendorff.
- NZPA
