MELBOURNE (Paulo Kennedy's View from Downunder) - It was great to watch the New Zealand Breakers and Adelaide 36ers slug it out in Auckland on Thursday night in (hopefully) a playoff preview.

The Breakers jumped out to an 8-0 lead to the delight of their crowd, but Adelaide, who brought a five-game road winning streak into town, showed why they've gone from potential wooden-spooners to arguably the title favourites in just two months.

With a great mix of discipline, speed, aggression and poise the 36ers took a 12-point lead midway through the final term on a Mitch Creek tip from another fearless Jamar Wilson drive.

The Kiwis weren't done though, with Tall Blacks stars Corey Webster and Mika Vukona strapping the team on their backs with a little help from Cedric Jackson's dime work, a Jackson triple then setting up a game-tying, elevating, high-arcing trademark three-point bomb from Tom Abercrombie.

The roof of Vector Arena almost lifted at that point, and moments when later Nigerian international Ekene Ibekwe pinched an inbounds pass and rammed it home for the lead cracks almost certainly appeared in the foundations.

Amazingly though, the 36ers showed they are for real by claiming a five-point win. Some crucial mistakes from Vukona and the clutch play of Wilson all but securing their playoff spot.

Starting over
The Breakers might not have won, but I loved the way they started the game following two losses in a fortnight.

In those defeats, Webster and Jackson had taken almost half the team's shots but were only converting at 36 per cent. Abercrombie meanwhile, took just three attempts last week in Townsville despite being the NBL's second most accurate overall shooter.

Come Thursday, Webster comes out like a shooter, nailing two triples off the bat, Abercrombie has 10 points in the first quarter and Jackson five assists.

New Zealand went away from that method as the game wore on, but the formula for success is certainly there for the team to see.

Creeking good
Creek didn't see as many minutes in this game as he has been, but some of his play was just superb. His evolution from an athletic bull in a china shop to a player with impressive finesse has been frighteningly quick.

His newly-developed Euro step - I wonder if new teammate Brock Motum has anything to do with that - his touch off the glass and poise when attacking in transition give hope that the former junior international superstar is on the verge of becoming a man.

Quality players
The level of talent on these two teams really is elite by NBL standards, and I feel both outfits would slot in comfortably behind that top rung of Euroleague teams and be competitive with ‘the rest’ of Europe’s best.

From an international perspective, there were 10 players in uniform Thursday who played in the most recent Olympics, FIBA Oceania Championship and/or FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Add to that a pair of outstanding import guards in Wilson and Jackson, mix in two teams who like to play at pace, and you've got a good recipe for hoops heaven.

Jamar the genius
Some aspects of the 36ers faithful attacked Wilson on social media from the moment he was signed, labelling him things like a "bench import", "scrub import" and "cheap import".

Early in the season, when the team was struggling to gel, many of these same people placed the blame at Wilson's feet for trying to make too much happen.

But credit to player, coach and teammates, they've figured the puzzle out and now Wilson's match-winning brilliance is being truly appreciated.

His offensive display against an outstanding defensive team - and opponent in Jackson - was at times breathtaking and certainly the difference between the two teams.

How quickly some folks forget he is an NCAA Mid-Major Team of the Decade selection, leading scorer of the VTB United League in the former Soviet Union and a runner-up MVP in the NBL.

Cedric the Frustrator?
Jackson picked up a triple-double, his second of the season, but the Breakers have some serious issues with the amount of shots their inaccurate point guard is taking, with his 4-of-18 shooting on Thursday undoing much of his other good work.

Good opponents recognise the Breakers are vulnerable in a half-court offence when the ball sticks in Jackson's hands (and to a lesser extent, Webster's), and they are defending him that way.

Earlier in the season, when Jackson and his back-up Rhys Carter were both firing from the three-point line, the Breakers looked unstoppable. Check out that pair's long-range shooting the past month or so and you'll see exactly why their team is a little wobbly.

Tom twiddling thumbs
Jackson getting frustrated and over-handling has a huge influence on Abercrombie, whose role this season is to be a finisher, pure and simple, whereas last season he was used regularly as a prime target.

I think the Breakers need to get the ball out of Jackson's hands sooner, then get it back to him later in the clock when the defence has had to cover some of his talented teammates.

It's something Adelaide have done very well with Wilson, who after a slow start is probably the best guard in the NBL right now.

No import, no fourth quarter?
I wrote last week about how Sydney were looking at the possibility of bringing in Al Harrington as an injury replacement for Josh Childress, but the NBL's rules would not allow it.

Two weeks in a row on the nationally televised games we've seen the Kings stick with top four opponents for between two and three quarters before falling away badly.

Had they been able to bring in a replacement - whether they secured Harrington or another talented player - the spectacle of the league would be much better.

Hopefully that rule is changed next season. No team should be punished because of a season-ending injury late in the season when alternatives are on hand.

Paulo Kennedy

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