KEY POINTS:
The playoff-bound Breakers may have the hardest NBL run-in but coach Andrej Lemanis wouldn't want it any other way.
One of four teams with a 15-12 record ahead of the opening games of the round, the Breakers are locked in a five-way scramble for positions four to eight on the ladder.
But, with their final three games of the regular season all against teams in the top four, they face the sternest of pre-playoff examinations.
The first test comes tonight against the second-placed Melbourne Tigers, followed by road trips to league leaders Sydney Kings and fourth-placed Perth Wildcats.
The rugged schedule means the Breakers will be battle-hardened heading into their first post-season campaign, Lemanis said.
"This is a great way to be going into the playoffs, a fantastic opportunity. We couldn't ask for a better schedule if we're to going to play playoff basketball at playoff intensity. There's no better way to prepare."
The Tigers (20-7) have already beaten the Breakers twice this year, although both games were in Melbourne.
While tonight's visitors have struggled against fellow top-three teams Sydney and Brisbane, losing all five games, they are 18-2 against the rest of the league.
The Breakers head into their final home match riding a three-game winning streak and having won 10 of their last 12 at the North Shore Events centre. Pre-sales for tonight's match suggest the crowd will be the biggest since the club's first year in the league.
And a vocal home support could prove crucial, a finish inside the top six would guarantee a home semifinal but the Breakers aren't in a strong position when it comes to ties. They have the split on the Gold Coast having won the season series 2-0 and are a game up on the Wildcats with one to play. But they are on the wrong end of tiebreakers with the other playoff teams and have the poorest points percentage in the top eight.
The permutations are many, but Lemanis will be out to ensure his players don't get ahead of themselves.
"We have a good group of guys and some real experience in the ranks and that helps keep everyone focused on what is important to us right now," he said.
"That has been a strength of the team all year, that the players have taken ownership. We're in a pretty good place right now and we're not changing anything in the way we prepare."
The Breakers have only beaten Melbourne twice in 12 encounters, both at home on the North Shore.
"They're a good team and present a good challenge," Lemanis said. "They execute their offence well and get a lot of lay-ups, so our half-court defence needs to be rock solid.
"They're also a big group, always hunting for easy second shots, so we need to box them out and ensure we take care of the defensive rebounds."
