The New Zealand Breakers are confident of becoming the first Kiwi team to win an Australian league title when the NBL grand final series begins against Cairns on Wednesday.
The minor premiers enter the three-game series against the Taipans as warm favourites having beaten them in each of their three contests so far this year.
The Auckland-based side has the luxury of a week's break since qualifying for their first grand final series with a 2-1 series defeat of Perth last Wednesday.
The Taipans qualified for their first grand final series on Sunday, winning the decider of their semi-final series 83-73 in Townsville.
Ever since the Warriors joined the NRL in 1995, New Zealand sides are still chasing a title in Australian competitions.
Coach Andrej Lemanis says the Breakers are hoping to be the first.
"We've had good contests with them (Cairns) in our three games in the regular season," he said.
"They are a team that gets after you defensively like Perth and I'm sure it will be a fiercely contested battle, one we look forward to.
"Both clubs have given themselves the opportunity to win their first title so both are in the same position in that regard and will be excited about that prospect.
"But as we have seen in the two semi-final series already, results before this don't mean too much, it is about playing in the here and now."
Their rise to grand finalists has capped a remarkable few seasons for the Cairns franchise which was placed into voluntary administration during the 2008/09 season, until a community based ownership scheme dragged them back into the black.
Taipans coach Aaron Fearne said community support had inspired their grand final charge.
"The support got us through," he said after their dominant victory.
"This is for the community of Cairns, that's why we are here. We would not be here if not for them. They have put in a lot of hard work and this is the pay off."
The Crocodiles led at quarter-time in the final of the three-game series but the Taipans dominated the contest thereafter on the back of a sublime performance from Daniel Dillon who scored 21 points and collected 7 rebounds.
Peter Crawford was Townsville's leading scorer with a game-high 29 points.
In a passionate post-match interview Crocodiles captain Russell Hinder illustrated his side's disappointment at missing out on their tilt at a premiership.
"Basically we have been told we suck," he said.
"Right now we are nothing. I'm nothing. That was crap. We worked our arses off to get second place. Cairns came into our house and we didn't deliver."
The best-of-three between the Taipans and the Breakers begins at a sold out North Shore Events Centre in Auckland on Wednesday.
- AAP
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