BOX SCORES

The path hadn't been without its potholes, but the New Zealand Breakers achieved New Zealand sporting history with a 71-53 win over Cairns Taipans in the third and deciding game of the iiNet NBL Championship at North Shore Events Centre on Friday.
 
Top of the table during much of the league's regular season, the Breakers had to come back from the brink of defeat against Perth Wildcats in the semi-finals and almost had the title snatched from their grasp in Game Two of the final series in Cairns over Easter.
 
But they made no mistake in the decider back on their home floor, becoming the first team from across the Tasman to capture an Australian national league title in any sport.
 
"For me, having gone through it in 2001 when the Tall Blacks beat Australia in a series for the first time, that broke down a mental barrier and we've been able to pick up wins along the way since," reflected retiring Breakers captain Paul Henare.
 
"Maybe the other sporting codes can look at what we've been through and learn from our experiences."
 
In another tough, grinding encounter, New Zealand took the lead from the outset, grabbing an early double-digit lead and finally taking full control with a 16-4 run in the third quarter. Consecutive three-pointers from CJ Bruton midway through the fourth period finally sealed the title.
 
Bruton led his team's scoring with 14 points, while naturalised American Dusty Rychart matched that contribution for Cairns. Forward Tom Abercrombie was awarded the Larry Sengstock Medal as the finals Most Valuable Player.
 
The home team got off to a dream start, scoring the first three baskets of the game, before Daniel Dillon replied for Cairns. If there were any doubts about the Breakers' collective nerve coming into this decider, they quickly dismissed them, though, running up an 11-2 advantage on a Kirk Penney trey.
 
Dillon responded with a three-point play, but the Snakes were already in foul trouble, with centre Ian Crosswhite collecting his second personal.
 
The margin stretched to double figures (15-5) when Bruton made a fall-away baseline jumper, but he too picked up a second foul soon afterwards and took a seat.
 
Cairns' bench steadied the ship and with Alex Loughton, who had struggled all series, connecting from the arc, the lead was just two points (17-15) after the opening quarter.
 
It was already a very physical contest with players shoving each other off the ball as both teams sought to impose themselves. Not as scrappy as Sunday's drought in North Queensland, but not exactly free-flowing either.
 
"New Zealand were the leading scoring team in the league and we held teams to lowest totals," said Cairns coach Aaron Fearne. "We like to grind it out and held them well below their averages."
 
"But they did a great job on us and held us down too."
 
Giant Alex Pledger gave New Zealand some breathing room after the restart and Abercrombie found a flying Henare cutting down the lane for an easy layup soon after.
 
When Mika Vukona made layups in quick succession, his side seemed to be easing clear again. Pledger found the basket with a hook shot and Abercrombie ran the floor for a layup, adding the extra point from the line.
 
Cairns' only reply during this phase seemed to come from Rychart. His 10 points for the period kept them alive and when local boy Lindsay Tait made a floater on the half-time buzzer, they were only seven astray (30-37).
 
"Dusty has won a championship and played a lot of championship basketball," commented Fearne. "He looked very cool and calm, and just did his thing."
 
Rychart led all scorers with 12 points, while Abercrombie headed a balanced Breakers scoresheet with seven and, notably, four steals. Their 43 percent from the field was probably the pick of the shooting stats, but the Taipans' 13 turnovers were probably a bigger factor so far.
 
Still, it was anyone's game. 
 
Cairns import Ron Dorsey, scoreless through the first half, got off the mark with a driving layup to open the third quarter and Crosswhite reduced the lead to just three soon after.
 
But New Zealand picked up their defence and showed perseverance at the other end, where they were kindly treated by the officials. Eventually, their patience drew dividends when Bruton hit a long corner ball and Pledger tipped in a miss.
 
"All season long, we believed at the defensive end," said Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis. "We're such a good offensive team, sometimes people overlook our defence and sometimes we just take some defensive possessions off."
 
"When it was all on the line and we needed to win, our defence has been pretty damn good."
 
When Dillon and Phill Jones were called for their fourth personal fouls, the cracks were starting show for the Taipans. The Breakers lead went to double figures again off a pair of freebies from Henare, in his 250th and final game for the club.
 
"Foul trouble killed us," said Fearne. "Free throws just kept ticking their score over when we could find the basket."
 
As the period wound down, it was gut-check time for the visitors. Dorsey hit a long deuce to bring back memories of Game Two, but Vukona threw down emphatically and when Wilkinson hit a pair from the line, the margin had stretched to 15.
 
It was down to a dozen (57-45) with 10 minutes remaining, but the home crowd had already started to celebrate. When Bruton hit consecutive treys for a 21-point lead midway through the final quarter, all mayhem broke loose.
 
There would be no heartache this time for the Breakers.
 
In a game where neither team shot particularly well – the Breakers returned 38 percent FG, Cairns 31 percent - Bruton's 4/7 from the arc stood out like a beakon as the veteran stepped up for his fourth title.
 
"CJ has been outstanding all season, keeping us focused and on track, knowing what to say at the right time," said Lemanis. "During the playoffs, we've seen him take a step up at practice, giving people the right messages ... he just knows how to win."
 
New Zealand also converted 17/24 from the free throw line, enjoying twice as many opportunities as their rivals.
 
Rychart collected the only double double, adding 10 rebounds to his scoring total, but both Abercrombie and Vukona matched him on the boards.
 
Abercrombie's MVP award was special vindication of the Breakers' development program.
 
"Seeing that makes coaching worthwhile," beamed Lemanis. "You see a young kid with some potential in him. He goes to the States and has a terrible experience that makes him want to quit the game.
 
"Four years later, he's an MVP."
 
New Zealand Breakers 71 (Bruton 14, Wilkinson 13, Penney 11)
Cairns Taipans 53 (Rychart 14)
@ North Shore Events Centre, Crowd 4400