Basketball On The Internet.

TOWNSVILLE Fire definitely were the WNBL favourite but few saw the New Zealand Breakers coming back to the extent they did, claiming a fourth NBL Championship in five years.

Last season, with coach Andrej Lemanis departing, Cedric Jackson seeking greener pastures and several key players retiring in the previous off-season, the tumble was predictable for rookie coach Dean Vickerman.

But what a bounce-back by the Breakers! Just as they beat Adelaide by 11 in the 36ers' last game of the season, they whipped them by 12 at the Blitz in their first.

That margin reflected well on Adelaide because New Zealand was far more impressive than that 96-84 scoreline in September.

The Sixers eventually would replace Daequon Montreal from that game with Brock Motum but in hindsight, the Breakers had Tom Abercrombie out for that game too.

TOMMY TUMBLE: Abers hit his back hard on the floor after Tai Wesley figured out a way to get more court-time.

The signs were there, we just didn't see them.

Too many were busy debating whether the regular season was just going to be a farce, leading upto the obvious Perth Wildcats-Melbourne United Grand Final.

How'd that work out?

We know only too well.

While Cairns Taipans caught everyone by surprise and had a dream run all season - right down to a red carpet ride to the Grand Final when Perth's Shawn Redhage was a non-starter and Greg Hire hurt again - the Breakers just went about their business.

After being belted at home in Game 1, the Taipans were valiant in Game 2 to turn around their deficit and put themselves within a few good decisions of forcing a decider.

But those decisions were missing in the final two plays which eventually left Cairns ruing its lost opportunity.

With 17 seconds left after Mika Vukona, ice-water in his veins, had given the Breakers an 81-79 lead from the stripe, Cairns unveiled one of the most hideous last plays in recent memory.

For starters, Stephen Weigh produced the shuffling-of-the-feet, hugest uncalled travel of the year, just receiving the inbounds pass!

He got it to Scottie Wilbekin who rushed about like a headless chook, then jumped into the air! 

Airborne, he passed the ball across the key, no-where in particular but where fortune favoured the brave and Torrey Craig met the ball.

He faked a shot, was covered and the ball went back to Wilbekin, fumbling around making a move, finally finding a way past Cedric Jackson who then experienced the series' biggest brain explosion.

Jacko's attempt to steal the ball from behind - a clear foul whether he cried real tears or not - was the ultimate bail out of a team which was lost and done for.

Instead, Wilbekin regathered his composure and slotted both free throws for 81-81, 1.2 seconds remaining.

Vickerman took time-out and Aaron Fearne showed a glimpse of why he was Coach of the Year (in case you missed it like most of Australia), by subbing in Mitch Young to harass NZ's sideline inbounds pass.

Fair enough, Ekene Ibekwe may have been the least likely player Cairns thought to obstruct receiving the inbounds from Jackson. 

Corey Webster for the winning shot? Yes.

Tom Abercombie? Yes.

Mika Vukona? Yes.

But Ibekwe? Only if it was a back-screen and a lob to the hoop for him.

So you can cut Cairns a little slack. But not much.

Vukona's screen to get Ibekwe open from Stephen Weigh wasn't one of his hardest as he, no doubt, didn't want to risk giving up an offensive foul.

He basically just got in Weigh's way. It was enough to give Ibekwe a shot of daylight veering to the side of the key where Weigh met a second screen attempt from Webster.

Cam Gliddon was on Abercrombie in the corner but close enough when he saw the ball going to Ibekwe to make the double-team. I mean, he had to know in 1.2 seconds, Ibekwe didn't have time to catch the ball and pass it to Abercrombie for a game-winning attempt.

Once Jackson's pass was heading to Ibekwe, Gliddon's defensive assistance to Weigh was no-where near committed enough, while Weigh's outstretched leap wasn't going to be enough to trouble a man with a 229cm wingspan.

Catch. Shoot. Ball game. Series. Championship.

Hope you saw it. It was a terrific showcase for our NBL at its finest, the Taipans assuredly playing their role in that.

Not much more Fearne could have done.

But in the end, New Zealand was the form team at the right end of the season, a steady build for which Vickerman can take credit, though he most likely won't.

And if you did miss the game, let's hope it wasn't because of this graphic ONE displayed at the end of Game 1 in Cairns.

All ONE had wrong was the venue.

And the time.