Dorsey delays Breakers' title charge

Updated April 24, 2011 19:09:00

Ron Dorsey hit two clutch three-pointers to keep Cairns' hopes of a maiden NBL championship alive with an 85-81 win in double-overtime in game two against New Zealand at the Snakepit on Sunday.

The series now returns to Auckland on Friday night for the decider with the Breakers looking to become the first ever Kiwi team to win a title in a major Australian competition.

New Zealand guard Kirk Penney sunk what were to be the go-ahead free throws that gave the visitors a two-point buffer with seven seconds to go in overtime.

But Dorsey, who finished with a game-high 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks, sent the game to a second extra period for the first time in the league's grand final history with an on-the-move shot from well beyond the arc.

He knocked Breakers veteran and three-time title winner CJ Bruton to the floor in the process, levelling things at 73-73.

Bruton himself had forced the first extra period with a three-pointer that tied the game at 61-61.

It became a three-point shoot-out as both sides searched for an unreachable lead despite neither team having much success from downtown in regulation time.

Kevin Braswell had the hot hand for the visitors, hitting two of his four buckets from long range in the first overtime period on his way to 18 points.

He hit back-to-back field goals - a lay-up and a long two from the wing - to pull the Breakers back to parity at 81-81, but Ian Crosswhite's bucket and two free throws to Ayinde Ubaka iced it for Cairns with 10 seconds in double-OT.

Crosswhite finished with 15 points and six boards, Ubaka had 15 and seven while Daniel Dillon (10 and eight) and Alex Loughton (10 and five) displayed the Taipans' depth on the bench.

New Zealand dominated game one, an 85-67 result in Auckland that saw Penney finish with a game-high 25 points and eight rebounds, but he was restricted to 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting (0-of-5 from three-point range) on Sunday.

Thomas Abercrombie (17) and Mika Vukona (10 points, 21 rebounds) were again solid contributors for the minor premier Breakers.

First posted April 24, 2011 18:50:00

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Dorsey gets in Penney's way

 Published:Sunday, April 24, 2011 8:15 AEST

Breakers guard Kirk Penney drives past Ronald Dorsey of the Taipans during game two of the NBL grand final series between Cairns and New Zealand at Cairns Convention Centre on April 24, 2011.

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We'll beat 'em again: Dorsey

Ron Dorsey says the Cairns Taipans will beat the New Zealand Breakers again this Friday to take out the NBL Championship. After the Taipans' 85-81 game two double overtime victory, it's hard to argue with him.

Taipans star import, Ron Dorsey walked out of the home team's change rooms at the Cairns Convention Centre with a satisfied look on his face.

Dressed neatly in his team polo, slacks and dress shoes he was quickly greeted by local media clamouring for his attention.

Dorsey calmly dropped his gym bag, smirked and walked over as though he half-expected it while girlfriend, Carmen Papillon waited a few moments longer, beaming with pride.

The Cairns Taipans had just held off the New Zealand Breakers in game two of the best of three NBL Finals series with an 85-81 double overtime win.

Dorsey's 22-points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists performance clearly made him a standout but his game was better than the stats suggest.

Dorsey hit several clutch shots, including a 30-foot three point basket he described as the 'biggest of my career' at the buzzer to send the game into double overtime. Two plays earlier, he'd drilled a three from an inbounds pass in the front court to make it 70-71. Kirk Penney was then fouled and sank two free throws to set up the late game heroics.

Even though it only sent the game into another overtime, the second three effectively snatched the Doctor John Raschke trophy away from the Breakers.

Instead of sweeping the Taipans, they'll be back in Auckland this Friday night after the Snakes took control in the second overtime.

Half an hour after the game, Dorsey hadn't finished tormenting his Kiwi foes though. Asked if the Taipans could take out game three in New Zealand, Dorsey was succinct.

"We'll beat 'em again. Take my word. We gon' to get it," he said.

Dorsey's swagger also came with a dose of humility. Taipans forward, Alex Loughton was quick to point out that Dorsey thanked his teammates in the locker room after the game.

"That's the kind of players we have in our locker room," Loughton said. "We don't have guys that say, 'Look what I did'. They say, 'Look at what my teammates got for me' and that's a big thing we've got going this year and we've got the right players to take it one step further."

Similarly, Dorsey preached the importance of team camaraderie as well.

"It's 100 percent authentic man," he said. "Everybody just comes together as one. It's one of the best teams I've been on in my career and we just enjoyin' the whole ride with y'all."

"We can beat 'em in New Zealand man. They didn't want to go to a game three with us. We just going to play our hearts out over there.

"It's not going to be the same as game one [an 85-67 loss]. We're going to go over there and play our hearts out."

With that Dorsey politely thanked the reporters and walked over to his partner Carmen, still patiently waiting.

"Baby," she grinned searching for an adjective as they hugged. "That was unbelievable!"

Ron Dorsey and the Taipans hope it wasn't unbelievable. They have to do it again this Friday night in Auckland no less.

Then again, Ron Dorsey did give his word.

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