The New Zealand Breakers brought the Sydney Kings back to earth with an emphatic 105-87 win on Thursday night which breathes further life into the defending champions' NBL campaign.
A dominant first half propelled the Breakers 55-36 clear and they were never threatened from there by a Kings side whose four-game winning streak ended with a thump in Auckland.
It was a second-straight win for the Breakers, whose pursuit of a fourth successive title remains on tenterhooks but who will be encouraged at pulling level with the fifth-placed Cairns Taipans with an 8-11 record.
The Kings remain fourth but, at 9-9, will feel the Breakers applying heat as they chase the fourth and final playoff berth.
Breakers coach Dean Vickerman said this week they are targeting the four-game series against the Kings as crucial for their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals alongside likely trio Perth (15-4), Adelaide (12-6) and Melbourne (12-8).
He will want the same intensity from his side when the teams meet in Sydney next Saturday, with the champions beginning to show signs their early-season jitters are behind them.
Athletic Tall Blacks forward Tom Abercrombie held his own against former NBA forward Sam Young, who produced a game-high 29 points for Sydney but lacked support from his teammates.
Abercrombie was strong defensively and led the Breakers with 20 points, supported by 17 each to guard Kerron Johnson and American big man Gary Wilkinson, who was again asked to cover for the absence of injured centre Alex Pledger.
The hosts were dominant in the paint than in recent weeks, winning the rebound battle 34-24 and creating better shots, particularly in the first spell.
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