I agree with you completely.

And I also totally agree with it.

Interesting this game same day as the play in for 4th, the winner of this series will have more rest leading into gf

Correction - this series has 3 games in 7 days, the kings will play 3 games in 5 days (potentially)

The best way to beat the Breakers is to disrupt them early, get a lead and then control the game as the Breakers will inevitably make a big run late. Both WMW and Le'afa are sloppy against press defences, and McNaught the DP was slaughtered in the two minutes to end the first period the sides last met.

The JJs are definitely capable of the first and third, but without Magette I’m unsure if they can put up enough points on the board. Can Magnay be an x-factor?

Some great highlights of the Breakers-Tassie season series from the courtside angle here:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=901950327471997

Should hopefully be a great game, big shame about Magette for Tasmania and the Breakers Barry Brown Jnr playing tonight is subject to passing a pre-game fitness test.
Best of luck to the JJ's.

Barry Brown Jnr is playing apparently.

Mitch Hare refereeing an NBL final. Wow.

19-12 to the Breakers at the end of the 1st quarter
Rupert looked great early

Good quarter all round, JJs just never go away after better start by breakers.

Damn the NBL really has some periods in games where it's a tough watch.

Neither of these two sides will get anywhere near the kings.

NZ by two at the half. JJs always in it, breakers got be smarter on defence, to many fouls.

JJs can win at home but NZ got a GF spot. Kings would be happy with that match up.

Cairns need to knock off Sydney or this is over!!

Yep, taipans are chance or as you say it's over. Sydney in the box seat.

NBL would be utterly panicking over the idea of Cairns facing either Tassie or NZ in the grand final.

NBL would be utterly panicking over the idea of Cairns facing either Tassie or NZ in the grand final.

I'd be happy with taipans v breakers GF.

Sydney got this though.

NZ beat Sydney without Barry Brown, they'd certainly give themselves a chance. Much would come down to the officiating in that series though. If it's called tight the Breakers would struggle, if it's basketbrawl it would be line-ball.

I'd like to see Cairns win it all because it would enhance my hope that NBL is a league where any team can win it rather than just the big cashed up clubs.

But Sydney would be far better for the economics of the league.

For pure economics, a GF series involving Sydney that goes the full distance is of course preferable.

But history shows that the Kings might not even turn up to all the games, and a repeat of that would be a disaster, so the safer bet is for the Taipans to make it from that side of the bracket.

Breakers physicality tends to bring teams down to their level so not sure a kings series would be as straight forward as suggested

Sydney finished the season 19/9 to New Zealand and Cairns records of 18/10 so I'm not sure the "Sydney and then daylight" predictions still hold any merit.

The Kings still have to get by a plucky Taipans side who whilst decimated by injury they have proved throughout the season they deserve to be playing finals and have the talent to compete against anyone.

Agree, officiating will play a big role if it's Sydney vs NZ

Likely scenario is refs call the Tiggy Touchwood stuff in Sydney and it'll be very hard for the Breakers to win those.

Could see Breakers being very competitive though with a 4 or 5 game series, making a welcome change from the past few years.

If Mayberry refs Sydney, it's over, over calls everything. It’ll be kings back to back.

Kings v the top six:

NZ 2-1
Cairns 1-2
Tassie 2-1
Perth 1-2
SEM 2-1

They're certainly not daylight over the season, but I would agree their absolute best is a step above the rest. Their ability to execute at such a high pace is hard to match.

If they can play close to their highest level for long stretches I think the title is theirs, but we've seen this year they've struggled to break shackles at times, they don't have quite the same ridiculous talent as last season.

Like I said, the problem for the JJs is putting enough points on the board. They really need Doyle to be more aggressive and get going if they want to win game two. Breakers won this pretty easily despite Brantley having a poor game from 3 and Brown on limited minutes.

The Breakers were playing at a much higher pace than they usually do and I suspect this is them preparing for the Kings.

Shout out to Tom Abercrombie who is turning back the clock each game. Led the Breakers with +22 and alongside Brown, Le'afa and Rupert gives the Breakers some serious defensive capability on the perimeter.

Agree Anonymightymouse. It would take a couple slip ups or injuries for them to lose.

The Breakers were playing at a much higher pace than they usually do and I suspect this is them preparing for the Kings.