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The New Zealand Breakers have hope yet for a playoffs berth after an 11-point win over the Cairns Taipans on Sunday afternoon.
REPORT: BREAKERS STAY IN NBL FINALS HUNT
The Taipans’ season however is over as the team now has no mathematical chance of joining the NBL’s top four before the season draws to a close.
Thomas Abercrombie was the top scorer on ground with 19 points for the Breakers while Cedric Jackson had 15 points and 11 assists.
Final score
New Zealand Breakers 85
Cairns Taipans 74
The New Zealand Breakers and the Cairns Taipans both face a must win clash as the NBL season draws to a close. A top-four spot is up for grabs in what promises to be a thriller on Sunday. Join The Roar for lives scores and commentary from 3:00pm (AEDT).
In what shapes up to be a tight race for the fourth and final playoff position, the Breakers and the Taipans must win to stay in touch of a post-season birth. Both teams enter the game looking for their third straight win and are starting to hit form at the right time of the season.
On Friday night, Cairns defeated Adelaide 95–89 thanks to a balanced attack led by Mark Worthington with 24 points, five rebounds and four assists. All five starters finished with double figures but they will need more help from the bench if they are going to beat the Breakers in New Zealand.
After a six-game losing streak, the Breakers have won their past two including a huge 22-point win over the 36ers in Adelaide. The defending champions looked fantastic and the backcourt duo of Cedric Jackson (31 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, seven threes) and Corey Webster (28 points, three rebounds, three assists) was unstoppable. The Taipans will have their hands full trying to contain these two as they play at a high pace.
It’s a battle of New Zealand’s big three in Cedric Jackson, Corey Webster and Thomas Abercrombie versus the balanced attack of the Taipans (5 players averaging over 10 PPG). The Taipans have no real standout star offensive power but they sit fifth in the rankings thanks to their swift ball movement and shot selection, but this shouldn’t be a problem for the pesky Breakers defence. They are the No.1 ranked defensive team in the league.
Prediction
New Zealand’s big three will be too much for the worst defensive team in the competition in the Cairns Taipans. Look for Cedric Jackson and Corey Webster to have another big game, while Thomas Abercrombie will stretch the defence further with his ability to hit the 3. The Taipans are playing great team basketball at the moment and they are determined to cause an upset in New Zealand and get one step closer to the playoffs, but the task might just be too much.
New Zealand by 9.
Join The Roar from 3pm (AEDT) for scores and debate in our live blog.
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