Cairns are banking on their good road record when they face the Breakers in New Zealand. Source: Brian Cassey / Getty Images
CAIRNS coach Aaron Fearne says the Taipans have no choice today but to live up to their 'road warrior' reputation to keep their NBL title dream alive.
New Zealand hold a 1-0 buffer over the Taipans in the best-of-three grand final series after an emphatic 86-71 win in Cairns on Friday night.
A victory in Auckland today will hand the Breakers their fourth championship in five years.
But the Taipans have reason to be optimistic about sending the series to a decider in Cairns this Friday night.
They boasted the best away record in the competition during the regular season with nine wins from 14 games.
Two of those away wins were over the Breakers in Auckland.
"It's going to be a big ask but we've beaten them twice over there so we know we can do it,'' Fearne, who was crowned the NBL Coach of the Year on Friday, said.
"That road record is really going to have come through or our season is done.''
Fearne said a vastly improved performance from Friday night would be required with a sharp focus on increasing defensive intensity and decreasing turnovers.
Breakers guard Cedric Jackson carved up Cairns with 22 points as New Zealand ran the sloppy Taipans off their feet in the first half.
"I know when we don't execute our gameplan, we get our butts kicked. When we do execute it, we give ourselves a chance,'' he said.
"We've played them four times this year and that's the worst we've played. They've stepped it up so we have to step it up too.
"We showed in the third quarter (Cairns outscored New Zealand 26-11) what we can do. We need that for four quarters.''
Cairns forward Cameron Tragardh was honoured with the NBL's Best Sixth Man award on Friday night.
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