"Littlest Things" Key to Breakers Hopes

In terms of Playoff success, Tom Abercrombie has been there, done that and got the t-shirt.

The Breakers veteran was a key part of New Zealand’s all-conquering NBL dynasty in the early 2010’s, and along with winning four championships in five years he has an All-NBL First team, All-NBL Third Team and Grand Final MVP (2011) rounding out his impressive CV.

He’s the last man standing from that exceptional group of players that included the likes of CJ Bruton, Kirk Penney and Cedric Jackson, and he’s the key link between the Breakers’ successful past and exciting future.

Having played in dozens of crucial Playoff games during his career, Abercrombie says it’s the little things that will determine who makes the Championship Series out of New Zealand and Tasmania.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity and we don’t want to leave any stone unturned,” Abercrombie said. “These games are often determined by the littlest of margins and the littlest of things throughout the game.

“For a professional player and elimination game is not really different to another Playoff game. It’s just as intense and as crazy an environment. You don’t try to place any more importance on it.

“I like to think we’ll come out and play a lot better than we did in Game 2 … hopefully we can do our best to win all of those effort areas.”

Tom Abercrombie celebrates winning the 2011 NBL Championship over the Cairns Taipans.

Given how the first two games of the series have played out, it’s not beyond the realms of comprehension to suggest home-court advantage will be the deciding factor in the electric series. A home-court advantage the Breakers possess.

The Breakers swatted the JackJumpers aside by 20 points at Spark Arena in Game 1, before Tasmania rebounded to earn an 11-point win in Hobart.

“Home advantage is something you work for all season long and we’ve seen just how important it is in these first couple of games,” Abercrombie said.

“We were really able to feed off our home crowd in that first game and come out with a lot of energy, and they did the same in the second game.

“We expect them (the JackJumpers) to come out with a lot of energy …but we’re obviously playing where we want to be – at home.

“It spurs you on having that home crowd cheering for you, and it’s something we don’t take for granted.

Whether it be the tight full-court – and often double-team – defence on Will McDowell-White or the early physicality shown towards Dererk Pardon, something prevented the Breakers from fully getting into their groove in Game 2.

The intensity shown by the JackJumpers was the intensity of a side that was obviously fighting to keep its season alive.

Having lost the first game of their Playoff Series and winning the second, Tasmania is in exactly the same situation it was in against Melbourne in NBL22. On that occasion they silenced the John Cain Arena crowd to win away from home and make the Championship Series against the Kings.

Abercrombie says he believes his side doesn’t have to be playing at its best to come away with the win on Sunday.

“We weren’t in sync and credit goes to Tasmania for being able to turn up the intensity and take us out of our stuff. We were never really able to settle into the game and find our rhythm.

“Even when we don’t play at our best we’re capable of winning – we’ve done it all season long. It’s hard to play 100 per cent every single night and they did a great job … of forcing us onto the back foot.

“You make adjustments and move on pretty quick, and we’ll do that for Game 3.”

Tasmania and New Zealand lock horns in the third and final game of their Playoff Series at 4pm AEDT, live & free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies.