Fast Break Championship Report
NZ Breakers 83-81 Cairns Taipans
Two years removed from an iconic third straight title, one year removed from missing the playoffs altogether… the New Zealand Breakers are ANBL Champions once more!
The drama, the tension… yes, the pandemonium. It was an incredible spectacle, coming off that game one win in Cairns. The Breakers turned up at the North Shore Events Centre knowing that a win would secure another famous championship and that win was all that mattered. Now and not later.
Last game it was defensive intensity that set the table that Cedric and Uncle Kenny dined at. Pace in transition. Energy and passion. They blew out early and held off a raging Cairns comeback in the third to come away with the W.
This game followed a much different path. Cairns made a few major adjustments, avoiding the traps that they stumbled into last time. Better shots led to better shooting, however a burst of early fouls slowed them down. Cedric picked up where he left off with some quick scoring and the Breakers shot 7 of 10 to begin – not as lights-out as last game, still pretty damn fine.
The Taipans’ comeback in the third quarter of game one was sparked when they started hitting threes (that and Mika Vukona’s foul trouble). So it was no surprise to see them trying to lean on that option early, even though it wasn’t really working. The Breakers weren’t exactly clinical themselves but four quick points to finish the first from Corey Webster had them up 23-17.
If the Breakers had been able to recreate that same swarming defence in this game (fouls were a huge factor in not doing that), then that lead would have felt a whole lot less vulnerable. Instead the Taipans had more success running their plays and the score quickly closed up again. Sixth Man of the Year Cam Tregardh folded up his napkin and dined out at the buffet, this from a guy held to a mere 4 points on Thursday night. Still, Cedric and Tommy kept the score ticking over to maintain a 5 point half time lead, 44-39.
But early in the third, Tragardh came back strong. He basically dictated his own shots, nobody could guard him when he got that ball near the rim. Twice he picked up his own offensive rebounds without challenge. Scottie Wilbekin, on the other hand, wasn’t so great. Cedric Jackson was comfortably winning the battle of the point guards at that stage (Ced had 14 at HT), although to be fair to Scottie he was unlucky. At least one clear foul from Abercrombie went uncalled after Wilbekin had seemingly teleported his way to the basket.
Tai Wesley’s finishing touch kept the Breakers ahead. They needed him too, with their jump shots coming up inconsistent and contested rebounds a non-issue. The pace of the game was down with the higher foul count and that suited Cairns completely. They were able to settle into possessions on each end, not having to worry about the transitional stuff that skinned them at home. For a team as well coached as them, that’s key.
Some gorgeous ball movement culminated in a corner three to Stephen Weigh. Cairns had their first lead of the night with 1:10 left in the third quarter.
“Let’s go take it!” demanded Taipans coach Aaron Fearne in the huddle before the fourth quarter began. Taipans still up 1. A Cedric to Ekene alley-oop wrestled that figure back into the home team’s favour, a premonition of the brilliant fourth quarter that was to follow. The two best teams all season, going down to the wire in the final ten of a finals game. Neither team could afford to miss and every single shot carried the weight of the occasion. Each possession was decisive.
Then Cam Gliddon and Torrey Craig began launching deep threes and those threes started landing. Both men hit four of them, both men scored 16 points. The Taipans had been forced away from the paint game after Tragardh’s onslaught (he finished with 17 points), suddenly it seemed like the Breakers might wanna show them back inside. Big bombs and the Taipans were up 6, in control. A loss wouldn’t be the end for the Breakers but it meant travelling back to Australia for a deciding game in the snake pit of the Cairns Taipans, to play before a sell-out crowd all baying for blood. Champions take their chances, this one was starting to slip away.
It was as if the pressure had shrunken the rims of the hoop. Time ticking down, somebody had to step up and hit some tough shots. Tom Abercrombie was that man. He buried a triple to cut it to 2 points. 78-76 to Cairns with 2:11 to play.
A Gliddon miss on a second chance possession was followed by a Taipans loose ball foul. Cedric missed a deep one for the lead, but his defence on Wilbekin then helped force a turnover. Vickerman calls his penultimate timeout with 55 seconds left. Still 76-78 to Cairns.
Colleting themselves in the huddle, they had to make this next one count. A play was drawn up for Ekene Ibekwe to attack the rim. Up goes the lob pass, except that Kenny doesn’t finish it. The ball bounces clear, floating like a balloon above a crowd of greedy, snatching hands. Bobbing and bouncing… then falling through the hoop. Mika Vukona providing the vital touch that tied the game.
In the midst of all this, a controversial foul on Ibekwe sent Tragardh to the line. He fails on his first effort but makes the second. Down the other end and Cedric puts rockets on his heels to scream towards the basket. There was no way he could finish in all that traffic but his explosiveness drew the foul and a trip to the line. He makes one, misses the second… but then gathers the rebound himself. He shoots and misses. A sloppy contest for the loose ball follows and it’s inadvertently parried out of bounds, Breakers possession. 14.9 seconds remain.
Mika Vukona draws a foul. Team captain and the human embodiment of inspiration. With ice in his veins, he scores both free throws and the Breakers go up 81-79. 12 ticks away from ultimate glory.
Now it was the Taipans’ turn to make something happen. With their season on the line, there was no way Cairns were going anywhere other than in Scottie Wilbekin’s direction, rough shooting night or not. Star players live for these moments. He collects the inbounds pass, wraps all the way around, but finds his path blocked by Uncle Kenny. Cedric follows him for the trap, reaches… and fouls. 1.3 seconds left. Devastating, but the right call. Wilbekin stepped up needing to hit both free throws and he calmly did just that. Breakers’ timeout, 81-81, and time enough for one last catch-and-shoot.
With one shot left - one shot to define a season – what do you do? Whose hands do you want that ball in? Tom Abercrombie’s? Corey Webster’s? No, the Breakers call the play for Uncle Kenny.
Ibekwe peels around and picks up the ball in a small clearing of space. Webster sets a nice screen, shutting out one defender while another over commits. Caught playing for something else, suddenly the Taipans realise what’s happening. It’s panic and desperation, everyone angling in on Ibekwe, who rips up the playbook and instead of driving for the layup, he drops back and unleashes a fade-away that catapults him backwards, off his feet and sliding out of bounds. The ball rises in a high arc, free and airborne. Time stands still and you can almost hear the collective, synchronised heartbeat of an arena of fans, a nation of fans, an inflated orange ball carrying the fate of months of work, of preparation, of training and games and hopes and dreams. Up it goes on its parabolic course, reaching a vertex and falling, falling now towards ultimation…
…
…
… and it’s in.
Yes, it’s in. It’s in and it’s all over. The Breakers are champions!
Pandemonium.
Stocks:
Movin’ On Up Like Curtis Mayfield – Cedric Jackson, 2014-15 ANBL Finals MVP. He’s the first man to win the finals in each of his first three Aussie seasons. Some surely hoped, but few could have predicted such a flawless re-integration into the team.
Goin’ Down Slow Like Howlin’ Wolf – Absolutely nobody.
Key Stat
Cedric had 15 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Abercrombie top scored with 19. Mika bagged 9p & 8r, Webster 11 points, Wesley 12p & 5r. And the star of the moment, Uncle Kenny Ibekwe, had 14 points and 4 boards. None should be singled out.
Play of the Game
Presented without further comment.
