KEY POINTS:
The Breakers can book a first NBL playoff spot with a victory over last-placed Souths Dragons in Melbourne tonight.
A win over the Dragons, who have won just four games all season and lost their last 13 on the trot, would put the Breakers out of reach of the ninth-placed Adelaide 36ers, the only team still capable of denying them a post-season berth.
The 36ers, who need to win all four of their remaining matches to have any hope of squeaking into the playoffs, are also in action tonight against the third-placed Brisbane Bullets. A 36ers loss would see the Breakers' playoff spot confirmed regardless of the outcome of their match against the Dragons.
But, having pulled off a remarkable comeback victory against the fourth-placed Perth Wildcats on Thursday, the Breakers will likely be looking up the table instead of down. Fighting back from 19 points down inside the first quarter, the Breakers kept their playoff hopes alive by winning 93-83.
Win tonight and they will likely find themselves in a three or four-way tie for fourth with three games remaining. The rewards for finishing in the top four are significant, including a bye for the first round of the playoffs and home advantage in a one-off fixture in the second round. Any finish inside the top six will guarantee at least one home playoff game.
Mika Vukona, the star of Thursday's victory with a career-high 18 points and 16 rebounds - just one board off another career high - said the prospect of sealing a first finals spot would help ensure there was no let-up against the Dragons, who beat the Breakers in round seven.
One of four originals in the squad, Vukona said finally cracking the playoffs after four seasons of struggle would mean plenty to the players who had endured the dark times.
"We are so close now. Not just me, but the other guys who have been there like Phill [Jones] and Paora [Winitana], we don't want to let anything go. We definitely want to get to the playoffs. Not just that, we want to go deep into them."
Coach Andrej Lemanis was impressed with the way his team "gutsed out" Thursday's victory.
Lemanis, however, was wary: "I see it as a real danger game for us. [Thursday] was an emotional game and also energy-sapping."
