By Huw Beynon
It is first against third in the Aussie NBL as the Breakers take on the Townsville Crocodiles at a sold out North Shore Events Centre tomorrow night.
It will be the sixth consecutive full house for the Breakers and one player, Daryl Corletto, will be celebrating a career milestone.
Corletto wears the number 3 on his back, he is 30 yeasr old, and tomorrow night is his 300th game.
And he says he feels fortunate to have reached the milestone.
“It’s a big game - 300 games. If you’d asked me a few months ago if I’d play it, I didn’t think I would. But I’m grateful for the Breakers and I’m looking forward to it,” says Corletto.
Plucked from free agency by the Breakers at the start of the season Corletto insists he is the happiest he has been in his 11 year career.
“It’s a great club, a great programme and everyone involved are great people. It’s a pretty happy place and we’re winning heading into the finals – I couldn’t be happier,” he says.
Another team in winning form are the Townsville Crocodiles who arrived in Auckland, bringing with them the reigning NBL player of the week, guard Peter Crawford.
“I feel a bit fortunate to be named player of the week – if the team plasy the same way it could go to anyone, and backing it up should be something we look forward to,” says Crawford.
Both the Breakers and Crocs have tough run-ins to the playoffs, with Townsville needing to maintain their form to secure a spot in the post season.
“I think it’s really good that all the top four teams are playing each other. One good weekend or one bad weekend could put a gap between 1st and 4th or 2nd and 5th, so it should be really interesting,” says Crawford.
And Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis would not have it any other way.
“I think it’s a good set up this year in playing those teams that are all playoff bound, and still scrambling for spots it’s gonna be intense and bring us to a level of play we’re going to need to get us battle hardened,” says Lemanis.
And they will have to be ready for battle to get past the hungry Crocs tomorrow night.
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