10 Mar 2015

Breakers hit buzzer beater to win fourth NBL title

12:17 pm on 10 March 2015

The New Zealand Breakers have won their fourth Australian Basketball Championship title in five years after beating the Cairns Taipans 83-81 in Auckland with the final shot of the game to sweep their best of three grand final series 2-0.

The Breakers forward Ekene Ibekwe.

The Breakers forward Ekene Ibekwe. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The Breakers led at half-time before the minor premiers Cairns fought back to take a one-point advantage into the fourth and final quarter.

The hosts rallied to take the lead with 14 seconds remaining before the Taipans tied the scores up again with less than two seconds on the clock.

The Breakers forward Ekene Ibekwe then sunk a miracle shot on the fulltime buzzer to claim the stunning victory and the NBL title.

Ibekwe says he's never made a match winning shot of that magnitude before.

"No not like that, haha not like that, it [the play] was drawn up for me to go to the basket but I felt more comfortable fading away hahaha."

"It's the best feeling in the world, ain't (sic) no better feeling."

The Breakers celebrate with the ANBL trophy after winning the finals series 2-0 against the Taipans.

The Breakers celebrate with the ANBL trophy after winning the finals series 2-0 against the Taipans. Photo: Photosport

Ibekwe says he's thrilled to become part of the Breakers' remarkable history.

"I kind of knew what I was getting into, I got some good advice to come to a good place, a good organisation and man we deserve to be here, we deserve to win."

The Breakers guard Cedric Jackson was named the grand finals MVP.