Tip-off: Saturday, February 11, 7.30pm (local), WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong

TV/Radio: ONE 10.30pm (check local guides) / NBL Radio

Last time they met: Wollongong 81 (Martin 20, Catron 10) d New Zealand 63 (Bruton 10), Round 6, 2011/12, North Shore Events Centre, Auckland

Do you believe in magic?
Wollongong are one of only three teams to beat the Breakers three times in the past 18 months and two of their losses to the champs came by a mere four points.

They say a good magician doesn’t reveal his tricks and Hawks coach Gordie McLeod ascribes his team’s success to “everyone playing to their level” and “executing a plan that exploits some weaknesses”.

“It’s irrelevant our results against New Zealand because we don’t have the same team as any of those games,” McLeod said.

“They’re wonderful memories, but there’s also been games where we’ve got our little Hawks feathers plucked.”

Instead of approaching this Saturday with confidence after their Round 6 win in Auckland, the Hawks are trying to recover from a 41-point hiding on the Gold Coast.

Take the pressure down
“We are having to address a few things from last week, and then we will start preparing for New Zealand,” McLeod said.

“The real challenge with New Zealand is the same as when you’re playing Perth or the Gold Coast. They do a fantastic job of getting after you and getting you out of your stuff. You really do have to have a lot of discipline to handle that.”

The Hawks have taken the Breakers out of their flow in recent times too, keeping them to 67 points a game and 34 per cent from the field in their three defeats.

The issue McLeod sees is the Hawks are not executing well in areas that are crucial against New Zealand.

In their wins, they have kept the Kiwis’ usual rebounding dominance in check, but McLeod said recently they have been “getting hammered in that area”.

Wollongong have also limited New Zealand to less than 19 three-point attempts and 27 per cent conversion, but according to McLeod “that part of our game has disappeared”.

Indeed, over the past month opponents have attempted 23 per game and made 37 per cent.

Smarter not harder?
The Hawks are last in the league when it comes to forcing turnovers at just 12 a game, and McLeod would like to see his team create more turnovers so they “don’t have to battle it out in the halfcourt all night”.

Interestingly, their success against New Zealand has come from intelligent disruption of the Breakers' offence, rather than intense pressure.

The Hawks committed 18 less fouls than the Breakers in their three wins, not conceding cheap points from the foul line.

Just as importantly, only one Hawk committed four or more fouls in those games, allowing their best players to remain on the court.

In their three losses, the foul count has been almost even and seven Hawks have been in foul trouble.

The wrap
While Wollongong have shown they can slow the Breakers, coach Andrej Lemanis will have pored over tape from Round 6 and have his players well prepared.

The rebounding battle will be crucial, last week’s game against Perth showing the Breakers are vulnerable when out-boarded, but unstoppable when dominating the glass.

Hawk Glen Saville has pulled in five or more rebounds in his past 10 games, but needs more support from big men Larry Davidson (4.8rpg), Oscar Forman (4.5) and Joevan Catron (4.5).

With veteran CJ Bruton hitting 47 per cent of his triples since returning from injury, the Breakers’ smooth-moving offence is even harder to guard.

Unless McLeod has some more magic up his sleeve, the New Zealanders will continue their march towards first place.

Prediction: Breakers by 10